Atlanta Jewish Times, February 6, 2015, No. 4

LIBERTY OR …

Atlanta Jewish leaders take a stand against religious liberty legislation.

Page 6

RED CARPET

Check out some of the sizzle from the film festival’s opening night.

Page 22

IN SEASON

When summer arrives, synagogues depart for Israel.

In Travel.

Page 25

Atlanta VOL. XC NO. 4

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Beth Tikvah Picks Rabbi

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com emple Beth Tikvah has hired its next senior rabbi, Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, effective July 1.

The Roswell congregation approved Rabbi Shuval-Weiner’s hiring at a special meeting Sunday morning, Feb. 1, after the board of trustees accepted the rabbi search committee’s recommendation Dec. 15 and the rabbi and synagogue agreed on a contract in January.

Rabbi Shuval-Weiner has served as the No. 2 rabbi at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, in Overland Park, Kan., since July 2008, her only job since being ordained at Hebrew Union College that spring.

Before becoming a rabbi, she worked as a Jewish educator in Portland, Ore., Fort Worth, Texas, and Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla. She is a mother of five and is married to Jay Weiner, a kehilla relationship manager for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Rabbi Shuval-Weiner will succeed Rabbi Fred Greene, who is leaving Beth Tikvah after nine years. On Jan. 25, one week before the Beth Tikvah vote, Reform Congregation Har HaShem in Boulder, Colo., approved a contract for Rabbi Greene to become the senior rabbi there in July.

Read more about both rabbis’ moves on Pages 2 and 3. ■

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FEBRUARY 6, 2015 | 17 SHEVAT 5775

Aranson Will Succeed Miller At JF&CS

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com ary Miller is ending a quarter-century at the helm of Jewish Family & Career Services, but the agency found his successor just down the hall.

Rick Aranson, the chief operating officer at JF&CS for 11 years, will replace Miller as CEO on July 1, when Miller will move into a two-year strategic advisory role. Miller’s focus will be a $4.9 million capital campaign to complete the JF&CS campus in Dunwoody.

JF&CS announced the moves Jan. 28 after the board of directors unanimously approved the transition.

Miller has led the agency since 1991, when he moved to Atlanta from Montreal to head Jewish Family Services, which merged with Jewish Vocational Services several years later to form JF&CS. He said he opened discussions with the board in January 2014 about handing over the reins.

“There is no greater legacy than the one created by our CEO,” JF&CS President Lynn Redd said in the transition announcement. “After 24 years of dedicated service and leadership, Gary has had an enormous impact on the growth of JF&CS and its influence throughout the metro Atlanta area.”

Redd cited the agency’s growth from $1 million in revenue, 27 employees and an annual fundraising goal of $8,000 to nearly $14 million in revenue, 269 employees and $3.2 million raised in 2014.

“We are confident that Rick has the ability to forge a new path with virtually no disruption to our clients, employees, key partners or volunteers,” Redd said, noting that a similar Jewish service agency had offered Aranson its CEO job out of 150 applicants.

Read what Miller and Aranson have to say on Page 4. ■

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LOOK OF CONCERN

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi in Britain, is coming to town with a message of danger for Europe’s Jews.

Page 14

Local News 2

INSIDE

Arts 22

Israel 9

Travel 25

Opinion 10

Obituaries 28

Education 19

Crossword 30

Calendar 20

Cartoon 31

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LOCAL NEWS

Rabbi’s Winding Road to Roswell

Conservative upbringing, aliyah, career switch led Shuval-Weiner here eagerness to get to know the congregation through efforts such as having meaningful personal contact with every family in her first few months on the job.

Rabbi Shuval-Weiner has served as the second rabbi at Congregation B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park, Kan., since her ordination at Hebrew Union College in spring 2008, but that was far from her first synagogue job.

The Los Angeles native had a successful career as an educator that began in Israel after she made aliyah out of high school and earned a bachelor’s degree from Bar-Ilan University. That career continued at synagogues after what were supposed to be temporary family circumstances brought her back to the United States more than 20 years ago.

Entering rabbinical school was the fulfillment of a long-deferred childhood dream. Rabbi ShuvalWeiner said she moved around a lot as a child — the longest she has ever lived in one place was nine years in

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com emple Beth Tikvah is continuing its journey along the traditional side of the Reform path behind a rabbi who took an untraditional route to the pulpit.

The Roswell congregation approved Rabbi Alexandria ShuvalWeiner as the fourth rabbi in its 28-year history at a special meeting Feb. 1. She will replace Rabbi Fred Greene, who is leaving at the end of June after nine years.

Beth Tikvah President Ron Swichow said Rabbi Shuval-Weiner emerged as the clear choice of the search committee because of her strong background in education, her enthusiasm and her compassion.

She and Cantor Nancy Kassel will form the only all-woman clergy team among Atlanta synagogues.

“She was the best person we saw, and we saw a lot,” Swichow said, adding that she will keep Beth Tikvah moving in the direction set by all of her predecessors. He praised her

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Portland, Ore., as an adult — because of her father’s job in hotel management. Membership in Conservative synagogues provided continuity from place to place.

“I was a little synagogue groupie,” Rabbi Shuval-Weiner said. She can’t remember the names and faces of all the rabbis she had as a child, but she remembers how welcome and connected they made her feel. “I wanted to grow up and be a rabbi just like these wonderful people.”

The Conservative movement didn’t have female rabbis when she was a little girl, however, and her career dream just earned her chuckles and pats on the head. When she finally took the opportunity to go to rabbinical school at her second husband’s urging when the youngest of her five children was 10 and her two oldest were in college, she was responding to something that had been nagging at her all along.

“From the moment I was ordained, I suddenly felt whole,” she said. “I love being a rabbi.”

Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner

Despite her Conservative upbringing, she chose the Reform rabbinate because of its dynamic approach of continually engaging with, understanding and committing to decisions about how to practice Judaism in the 21st century. It was not an easy decision, but “at the end of the day, I feel that in the Reform Judaism of today, one can be as traditionminded as one wants.”

That decision put her in the unusual position of being a Conservative-raised Reform rabbi married to a man who grew up classically Reform but has worked for the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for

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Midtown A silent march through solidarity Atlanta on Jan. 11 shows days of terror. with Paris after three

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By David Cohen david@atljewishtimes.com Music Festival he Atlanta Jewish onal music to is bringing internati event. town for the sixth annual will feature IsThe Spring Festival um and Diwan Saz raeli Yael Deckelba Jump Babylon. and Montreal-based g young, attractin on eye With an will put on 10 events intown Jews, AJMF The festival will in 12 days in March. band Red Heifers include Macon-based (Hannah) Zale, and Atlanta-area artists and Tony Levitas.

Sammy Rosenbaum about this “We are really excited ” said Russell Gottyear’s Spring Festival, founder and direcschalk, the festival’s onal performtor. “We’ve had internati our opening at never but past the ers in focused entirely night, and we’ve never specifically peron international artists, main event. at our formers from Israel, r Yael DeckMain event headline a ed since age 16 as elbaum has perform an album this releasing is solo artist and member of the Israeli spring. She is also a a. folk trio Habanot Necham seven Jews, of consists Diwan Saz s who perform Muslims and Christian Central Asia, Turkey ancient music from g peace and underand Israel, promotin music. standing through their y, March AJMF6 kicks off Thursda with Jump Baby12, at Steve’s Live Music inspired ska/roots/ lon and its klezmervenue will also rock. The Sandy Springs party March 14. host Zale’s album release at will produce a stage festival The 22 Community Food 31st annual Atlanta 25 the Hunger Walk/Run on March 15.

Bank be March 21 at 26 The main event will se.

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LOCAL NEWS Beth Tikvah also was the right size for Rabbi Shuval-Weiner when she began looking for a new position, but Georgia was not her intended destination.

For all her moving around, the closest she came to living in the South was Florida, where she became a bat mitzvah. But she said people have made sure she understands that Georgia is nothing like Florida.

Her family and her husband’s family are on the West Coast, and her second-youngest child, Ariel, plans to move to the West after graduation from Kansas State University in May. The family assumption was that Rabbi Shuval-Weiner also would go west, so the idea of Atlanta was daunting at first.

The warmth and passion of Beth

Rabbi Greene Goes West For Chance to Grow

By Arlene Appelrouth

A

week before his current congregation officially approved his successor, Rabbi Fred Greene won confirmation Jan. 25 that the Rocky Mountains will be the next stop in his rabbinic journey.

When Rabbi Greene, a lifelong Northeasterner, relocated to Roswell in 2006, he became the second noninterim rabbi of Temple Beth Tikvah.

It was his first position as a senior rabbi. He was eager to share his gifts, hopeful his efforts would be meaningful and earnest in his desire to grow with the congregation. He and his wife moved their family from Bridgeport, Conn., where he was the assistant rabbi of B’nai Israel.

After eight years in Roswell, he found himself satisfied and happy with what he had accomplished at Beth Tikvah and ready for a new challenge, so he gave the congregation a year’s notice of his intent to leave. That gave Beth Tikvah time to find Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, approved Feb. 2 as the new senior rabbi, effective July 1.

“It’s time to grow,” Rabbi Greene said. “I’m ready for my next step on my journey as a rabbi.”

Beth Tikvah Cantor Nancy Kassel said she will miss Rabbi Greene.

“I’ve had a great partnership with Rabbi Greene,” she said. “We really can talk to each other. He knows how to listen.”

Cantor Kassel said the Roswell

congregation has seen much growth and change under Rabbi Greene.

“He’s helped this congregation take more social action and done a lot to engage our youth beyond the time of their bar or bat mitzvahs.”

For example, Rabbi Greene went to the state Capitol on Jan. 28 to attend an interfaith press conference opposing the religious liberty legislation proposed in the General Assembly. The only other congregational rabbi there was Congregation Bet Haverim’s Rabbi Josh Lesser.

Now 44, Rabbi Greene is moving west to Boulder, Colo., where he will become the spiritual leader of Congregation Har HaShem, a 50-year-old Reform congregation he describes as inclusive and focused on social justice.

“The folks in Boulder are always outdoors, and they want to be environmental stewards,” he said.

His new congregation, which like Beth Tikvah has around 500 member families, has a strong program for people with disabilities and welcomes “anyone who wants a seat. There are Jews in Har HaShem who may have been marginalized elsewhere. It welcomes members of the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community.”

Rabbi Greene will begin his new job July 1.

He said his devotion to “Jews, tradition, prayer and holiness” will continue in Colorado, and the move will enable him to be innovative as he explores the changing Jewish world. ■

Tikvah helped turn that nervousness into excitement.

“There was such a sense of love and devotion for the congregation,” she said. She was impressed by the enthusiasm people expressed for Rabbi Tam, Rabbi Greene and even Rabbi Avi Levine, who served as the interim spiritual leader between them, and she was drawn to the congregation’s community activities and the youth programs Rabbi Greene instituted.

“It seemed so vibrant,” Rabbi

Shuval-Weiner said. “People adore their community and want to make the synagogue the best place it can be.”

Because she’s entering a strong congregation, she isn’t planning big changes on arrival. Instead, she plans to bring an open heart, mind and ears so she can get to know all of the congregation.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of hearing people’s passions and goals so we can create the vision for the next phase together.” ■

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two decades. Jay Weiner will continue that work when the couple, now empty-nesters, move to Roswell this summer with their rescue dog, Duncan.

With that background, the rabbi sees herself as being toward the right wing of the Reform movement when it comes to ritual even though she’s to the left politically. “I feel very passionate about the power of ritual,” Rabbi Shuval-Weiner said. “I feel that ritual brings a lot of meaning to our lives, ritual with intention.”

That attitude aligns well with Temple Beth Tikvah, which Swichow said maintains the traditional approach to Reform Judaism under which it was founded with Rabbi Donald Tam.

With just under 500 families,

AJT 3

LOCAL NEWS

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Old, New JF&CS CEOs See Smooth Transition Miller, Aranson praise each other and the continuity in agency efforts

By Mindy Rubenstein

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FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

ary Miller never imagined he would remain in one role for nearly a quarter-century.

“Very few today can say they’ve been in the same job for that long,” he said. “I’m a dinosaur in that way.”

During his 24-year tenure as CEO of Jewish Family & Career Services, Miller saw the agency expand to more than 40 programs, serving 30,000 individuals in the Jewish and general communities.

“I was recruited from Montreal to lead a very small Jewish nonprofit, and it has been an extraordinary experience,” he said.

Rick Aranson, the agency’s chief operating officer, takes over as CEO July 15, while Miller fills an advisory role for two years.

Miller’s son is getting married, so he will soon travel to the Bahamas for the wedding. He also will visit his native Montreal and eventually will do some volunteer work back home.

“I also want to learn Spanish and sing in a choir. I like to sing,” he said.

“And maybe even play some ball.”

Looking back, Miller said it was a challenge to maintain relationships with Jewish organizations.

“It’s difficult to feel we have a cohesive Jewish community,” he said.

“It has been frustrating trying to feel like we are part of something bigger, planning in a big way with large scope for the future of the Jewish community.”

He said it’s important for “leaders to look beyond their own organizations.”

Caring for the elderly in the community is another difficult conversation, he said, particularly when resources are lacking. “These are tough issues we face, and we need to approach them in a new way.”

Miller thought he would have another career after 10 or 12 years in Atlanta, but his current role kept him interested twice that long.

“I was re-energized along the way,” he said. Things like buying property in Dunwoody and expanding, restructuring the organization, and being more involved in community development kept him inspired and excited.

“I was able to spice it up over time with new challenges. … The 4 passion never went away,” he said.

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available.

“In this position you want “My first job is to listen,” he to constantly have chalsaid, “not from a big chair in lenges.” my office.”

A motto hanging in his Rather, he said, “leading office, painted in Mandarin the organization requires a by his wife, reads, “Never lot of listening, collaborative satisfied.” discussions and analysis, re “I’ve always pushed to lying on the community and be ahead of the curve,” he stakeholders to formalize the said. organization’s vision.”

JF&CS board Presi He said Miller was “the dent Lynn Redd said: perfect leader at the perfect “Throughout Gary’s tenure time.” his vision, passion and in But Aranson said people resistence on excellence have spect the yearlong process to guided the agency in its name him the successor and meteoric growth and countappreciate the continuity at less accomplishments.” the agency. He said the com Miller recalls many munity’s support has been proud moments. One highoverwhelming and humbling. light was redeveloping the

“Transitions are always Ben Massell Dental Clinic, hard,” Aranson said. “I have which began as a general confidence in my success and health clinic 100 years ago. in the agency’s future suc Now with 7,900 square Gary Miller (left) says part of his job has been to mentor Rick cess. I believe in and live feet, the clinic offers dental Aranson to step into the CEO’s role. and breathe the mission of the and general health care and agency and feel it in my heart a vision center. It features 16 that will make it successful.”

“I’m not going to be here forever,” patient stations, a large labohe said. “Too often CEOs don’t like to A lawyer with expertise in busiratory, an X-ray room, CT machines talk about these things. It can be a ness, Aranson said the organization’s and a separate treatment room for huge process when executives transi- mission will be “fine-tuned and modichildren. tion. I didn’t want a hard stop. Espe- fied based on the journey of listening.

More than 200,000 people in the cially in a fundraising environment, It’s a community organization.”

12-county Atlanta area qualify for Because of Miller’s success in it’s difficult to have a speed bump.” the clinic’s services. It is one of the His conversation with the board building JF&CS into a cradle-tofew charity dental providers in Atabout installing a successor began grave service agency, “I don’t anticilanta to offer comprehensive dental in early 2014. “It has been a diligent pate we will have a do-over,” Aranson services to HIV-positive people who said. “My intent is to drill deeper and and thorough process.” are poor.

Miller will remain involved with see where we can have the greatest “It was a Jewish facility, so there JF&CS fundraising, leading a $4.9 impact.” was discrimination in the beginning,” million capital campaign to provide He said that although the broad Miller said. Now the state-of-the-art comprehensive client services in approach was the right move in the center serves everyone below the confidential and secure space on the past, it might be time to focus more poverty level, 98 percent of whom are on centers of excellence and to direct agency’s Dunwoody campus. not Jewish. “It’s a one-stop, compre The transition to Aranson seems resources to key areas. It’s about “gohensive portal, a healthy home atmonatural, Miller said. He said it was ing wide and serving all needs vs. sphere. There are no barriers to achis job to mentor Aranson and help focusing on areas we can have the cessing health.” him develop leadership and gain greatest impact.”

He oversaw the merger between He plans to emphasize collaborahands-on experience.

Jewish Family Services and Jewish “The board and community has tion to avoid duplication of services Vocational Services in 1997 that crerecognized his talent,” Miller said. and to have a collective impact. He ated the unified JF&CS. “With his talents and abilities and said the key is not to look at what The agency received the Managhis 11-year investment in the orga- JF&CS can do for a client, but at the ing for Excellence Award in 2012, nization, we are really lucky to have range of community services availpresented by the Community Founable to that client. him.” dation for Greater Atlanta, beating “We will build and develop deepout more than 7,000 other nonprofits er collaborations locally and nationAranson Listens in Georgia.

As chief operating officer of ally,” he said, “so that collectively we “It’s an honor to get it,” Miller can achieve the greatest impact.” said. “It speaks to the management JF&CS since January 2004, AranThat approach means reinforcing son has worked to increase efficiency of the entire organization.” internal collaboration and promoting After 24 years, it can be a chal- and maximize effectiveness. As CEO, cross-functional teams. lenge to know when and how to leave. he said he plans to be hands-on and

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LOCAL NEWS

Old, New JF&CS CEOs See Smooth Transition

Atlanta

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ARLENE APPELROUTH NOAH APPLEY DAVID BENKOF SUZI BROZMAN JON GARGIS JORDON GORFINKEL MARCIA JAFFE BENJAMIN KWESKIN BOB PEPALIS LOGAN C. RITCHIE SHAI ROBKIN MINDY RUBENSTEIN DAVE SCHECHTER AL SHAMS CHANA SHAPIRO ANNA STREETMAN RENEE WERBIN

For example, a client taking advantage of the organization’s career and job placement services might benefit from mental health services.

It’s important for JF&CS employees to know the right questions to ask and to have the big picture in mind when helping a client, he said.

“To focus not just on the service, but on the impact and change from the intervention, on the outcomes,” he said.

Another area of focus is ensuring that the organization develops relationships with the next generation of clients, volunteers and supporters — the young adults who are just start-

ing their careers and families.

Aranson wants to instill and draw on “the same passion that their parents and grandparents had,” but “what excited them is different.”

So it’s important to connect and stay relevant to all generations.

“That’s part of sustainability.”

JF&CS offers 40 services, he said, but “many people just don’t get it.”

He wants to make the agency’s goals easier for the community to understand. Overall, the agency’s work falls into two areas: increasing and maintaining health and creating and keeping financial independence and

self-sufficiency.

Aranson said he looks forward to enhancing stakeholder stewardship, which boils down to going out and listening. “I’m not the boss in my new role. We report to the community.”

At home, he has a 16-year-old daughter whom he is teaching to drive and a 13-year-old son who just celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah.

Eleven years ago, Aranson was one of the first people the JF&CS career services division placed into a job, making him a client and an employee. “I have never looked back, and I can’t imagine myself anyplace else.” ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Rabbis Deny Need for Liberty Bill

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com ueling press conferences of religious leaders at the state Capitol took opposite stands on religious liberty legislation, but the Jewish presence Jan. 28 came down strictly in opposition to the proposals.

Rabbis Fred Greene of Temple Beth Tikvah and Josh Lesser of Congregation Bet Haverim stood prominently among clergy of various denominations at an event organized

by Faith in Public Life to criticize H.B. 29, the Preventing Government Overreach on Religious Expression Act, introduced by Rep. Sam Teasley (R-Marietta), and any similar religious liberty legislation.

Critics of the legislation say it is broad enough to provide a defense for otherwise criminal acts, such as the use of illegal drugs and domestic abuse, and to shield discrimination against the gay community and others whose actions might offend some religious beliefs.

Supporters say the legislation would prevent free expression from being punished, as in the case of fired Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, and would protect small-business people from penalties for putting their religious beliefs above potential customers.

“For the Jewish community, we know how important it is to protect religious freedom. This isn’t religious

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freedom,” Rabbi Greene said. He said that Atlanta has great religious freedom and that any protective legislation is unnecessary.

Similar legislation failed last year amid opposition from big businesses such Coca-Cola, and Rabbi Lesser said Georgia’s desire to be pro-business could again be decisive.

After the Republican gains in the fall elections, however, he said the bill has a 50-50 chance of passage.

The legislation will be challenged in court if it becomes law, Rabbi Lesser said.

Three Baptist ministers were the only clergy who spoke during the press conference, a likely response to a pro-legislation press conference held by members of the Georgia Baptist Convention two floors below a few minutes earlier.

The pro-legislation ministers argued that the bill is needed to protect Christians in Georgia from unspecified discrimination.

The interfaith clergy gathered upstairs emphasized the absence of Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and other minority religious groups among those backing Teasley’s bill.

Religious freedom, they said, has ample protection under the U.S. and Georgia constitutions and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, which had the support of many of those opposing the new legislation.

“Georgia’s citizens and elected officials need to decide if they want

to move forward or take our state back in time,” said the Rev. James Lamkin of Northside Drive Baptist Church.

“As a Georgia Baptist, I do not want discrimination to happen in my name. Every- Rabbis Josh Lesser and Fred Greene are among the clergy listening inone has a right tently to the Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell of First Baptist Church of Decatur at the Faith in Public Life press conference Jan. 28 at the Capitol. to their reliPhoto by Michael Jacobs gious beliefs,

“These are the greatest advocates but nobody has for religious freedom,” Rabbi Greene the right to discriminate.

“This is Atlanta, the home of Dr. said about the ADL’s presence.

Martin Luther King Jr. We don’t Rose said the ADL lobbied for the Religious Freedom Restoration teach hate here.”

Lamkin brought Holocaust sur- Act because it closed some gaps in vivor Viktor Frankl into the discus- religious protection, but the current sion, citing his call for a Statue of legislation is unnecessary and could Responsibility on the West Coast to have unintended consequences, inbalance the Statue of Liberty on the cluding discrimination.

East Coast and closing by quoting “Businesses should not be alFrankl’s comment in “Man’s Search lowed to discriminate,” Rose said.

A letter released by Faith in Pubfor Meaning” that freedom is only lic Life at the opening of the legislahalf the truth.

Those listening in a crowded tive session in mid-January has atfourth-floor meeting room included tracted signatures from more than Shelley Rose from the Anti-Defa- 100 clergy members, including 11 mation League and Robbie Medwed rabbis, although the only non-Reform from SOJOURN: Southern Jewish rabbi on the list is Congregation Or Resource Network for Gender and Hadash Rabbi Analia Bortz. ■ Sexual Diversity.

Melton Way Reaches Young Israel

By Arlene Appelrouth n unlikely dream was born two years ago when two Atlanta Jewish professionals had coffee together.

Rabbi Adam Starr was talking with Shelley Buxbaum, who heads the Florence Melton Adult School of Jewish Learning, sponsored by the Marcus Jewish Community Center.

Rabbi Starr, the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Toco Hills, also teaches classes for Melton, which emphasizes pluralistic learning.

When he wondered aloud about holding a Shabbaton at his synagogue that showed the Melton way of learning, the Melton director said, “Why not?”

Saturday, Feb. 1, the Young Isra-

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el sanctuary was filled not only with its own members, but also with Jews from all over Atlanta, including some who had never been to an Orthodox synagogue for services.

“It was welcoming and comfortable,” said Ellen Herold, a Dunwoody resident who has been a Melton student for 12 years and is a member of Reform Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell.

Herold said she loves taking Melton classes because she enjoys learning with a diverse group of students about the different perspectives Judaism offers.

“There are so many layers of Jewish learning,” she said.

During Saturday’s “Eat, Pray, Learn” Shabbaton, Rabbi Morey

Schwartz, the director of education for Melton at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, presented the different ways Jewish sages explain tragedy.

The Babylonian Talmud teaches that everything that happens is decreed by divine providence, but Maimonides disagreed.

Rabbi Schwartz passed out handouts with Jewish texts that showed the philosophical differences among Jewish sages.

Shabbaton participants were encouraged to comment on the texts and voice their opinions on the differences.

Rabbi Schwartz gave the sermon and conducted two additional classes.

About 90 people who came to services stayed for lunch.

The Melton method stands for pluralism and an interactive classroom, and what occurred at Young Israel was typical of the Melton philosophy.

“The Melton way is to show there are multiple voices to be heard. We want to hear those voices,” Buxbaum said. “We want people to know Judaism — Jewish adults who want to search for meaning and dig deep to uncover the meaning.”

When Jews learn to unpack the texts of Judaism, they understand how the texts are relevant to their lives, Buxbaum added.

The Shabbaton was sponsored by Young Israel and the Marcus JCC’s Lisa Brill Institute for Jewish learning. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL LOCAL NEWS NEWS

Online Community Connects Atlanta’s Orthodox Kidney donation arises from Frum_Atlanta’s role in daily life

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hat began as one woman’s effort to find kosher-forPassover marinara sauce is now connecting Orthodox Jews across metro Atlanta and around the globe.

“I went to the grocery store to get spaghetti sauce, and they were all out. I thought, ‘I know that people in my neighborhood are the ones who snagged all the sauce,’ and I wished there was a way to put out an email and say, ‘Who can fork over a jar of sauce?’ That’s how it was born,” said Rivkah Eidex, the creator of the Frum_Atlanta group on Yahoo!

Frum_Atlanta, a listserv where members can send an email to one address to get a message to all members, is open to all in the Orthodox Jewish community. Eidex, a mother of five and a member of Congregation Beth Jacob, serves as the moderator of the group, whose name is an Orthodox play on “from Atlanta.”

Nearly 34,000 messages, now arriving 20 to 40 a day, have come across her computer screen in the nearly nine years she has been at the helm. Membership has grown to just over 2,000.

People use the group to find jobs, buy and sell items, find rides to the airport, and more. One recent post sought a handyman to put together a storage bench; another came from a member posting an audio clip about Israel.

“The big one is ‘I need a package taken to Israel.’ If I had a dime for every one of those, I’d be rich,” Eidex said. “A lot of people post announcements, synagogue posts — there’s going to be a speaker Tuesday night or a free budgeting workshop — or a Jewish school is having an open house. It really runs the whole gamut.”

Community members have brought up local topics that could have a wide impact, such as the various proposals to annex part or all of Toco Hills into a city, she said.

Other topics include political issues or people in need of prayers.

Local businesses also promote themselves, although Eidex said she doesn’t take a dime from Frum_Atlanta.

“I always skim through it in case

sent a message in yahoo.com and search for “Frum_Atsomeone needs the fall about an- lanta.” something I have other Orthodox Those who sign up with the or if someone needs New Yorker, Lau- group can choose to receive each a referral I can help ren Gitelson, 42, in day’s messages in one daily digest or with,” said Elaine need of a new kid- get each message as Eidex approves Alexander, who has ney. Yifat Levin, it. been a member of She said she thinks the message36, a nurse and an the group for about Orthodox mother by-message option is better to avoid three years.

“I of three in Atlan- getting time-sensitive messages too used to give things ta, responded to late. away, and also if But the final frontier for Frum_ the request from a I am looking for a Atlanta is something timeless. stranger. specific kind of ser“The only thing that hasn’t hapLast month Levin vice, I ask for sugdonated a kidney pened that I would love to see happen gestions. to Gitelson in New is for matchmaking to happen,” Ei “I think it is York. Both surger- dex said. “It would be neat if someone great, and we are lucky Rivkah takes Rivkah Eidex created Frum_Atlanta to ies were successful. said, ‘I have a cousin who is single.’

“That’s the And how cool would it be for somethe time to take connect the community. biggest thing it’s body to say, ‘Yeah, I have a friend’?” care of it. I am sure The whole community could play done,” Eidex said. “A lot of people it is time-consuming.”

Eidex sent the group’s first mes- have gotten jobs and bought and sold a part in the free search for somesage in April 2006, asking whether things, and maybe have bought and one’s beshert. “I’m waiting for that to anyone was heading out to shop at sold houses and big things, but that happen,” Eidex said.

Tu B’Av is less than six months one was a really big moment for us.”

Sam’s Club.

To join the group, visit groups. away. ■ “As I said at the time, I can hereby verify the Jewishness of this group because there were arguments within three days. Postings about Israeli politics and this and that, it was a mess. Someone said this group had to be moderated,” she said, adding DEBBIE SONENSHINE that she had to have someone walk STAR NEWMAN her through the process of moderatKATIE GALLOW ing the group. She has been the modTop 1% of Coldwell Banker Internationally Certified Negotiator, Luxury, New Homes erator ever since. and Corporate Relocation Specialist As you might expect from the #1 Sales Associate in Sandy Springs Office group’s name and its focus on the OrVoted Favorite Jewish Realtor in AJT, Best of Jewish Atlanta thodox community, group members do not receive messages during holidays or Shabbat. Eidex moderates and approves all messages before they go to the full group, an email sent Friday night would not be read or approved by her until Saturday after dark.

Most members hail from Toco Hills, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs Eidex said, though other areas Estate Home Inside 285 $995,000 around metro Atlanta are represent• Located in Prestigious Avallon on • New Screen Porch & Large Deck ed. She said out-of-towners, such as Private 1.23 Acre Cul-de-sac Lot Overlook Heated Salt Water Pool people moving to the Atlanta area, • High Ceilings, Large Rooms • Price Reduced to Allow for Updates & Open Floor Plan to Kitchen and Baths, If Desired also have found the group.

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AJT

LOCAL NEWS

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

Camp Jenny Crowd

Temple Beth Tikvah’s youth group, HOTTY, held its first Camp Jenny fundraiser, Driving for Jenny, on Jan. 31. For two weeks in January, HOTTY teens called synagogue members, friends and family for donations — either a fixed pledge or a certain amount per point based on the highest score on one swing. HOTTY then hit Top Golf and raised more than $9,000, enough for 18 campers at Camp Coleman over Memorial Day weekend. HOTTY members Leora Greene, Ben Goldenthal and Drew Baker work with Youth Director Adam Griff to record pledges, and Yael Greene works the phones before the golf night. At the fundraiser, brothers Zach (left) and Drew Baker celebrate Zach’s top finish among fundraisers.

Centennial Style Photos by Nitzana Mamane

Gerard Edery makes some beautiful music at Congregation Or VeShalom during a postHavdalah concert Jan. 24 to help the Brookhaven Sephardi synagogue celebrate its first century in Atlanta.

JELF Encore

Photo by Jennifer Wall

We didn’t find room for a photo of Dr. Benjamin Warsaw performing at the Jewish Educational Loan Fund benefit in our Jan. 30 issue, and that was a mistake. The Atlantan and JELF beneficiary deserves his moment in the spotlight.

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

Seen on Social Media

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We cover the breadth of day schools, at least from A to E, in this week’s Seen on Social Media, celebrating Shabbat with the Epstein School and basketball senior night with Atlanta Jewish Academy. Remember to tag the Atlanta Jewish Times on Twitter (@atljewishtimes) and Facebook (facebook.com/atljewishtimes) to see your tweet or post on this page.

They Are the Champions

The Atlanta Jewish Academy Middle School boys A team, including eighth-grader Jacob Lieberman (No. 30), took first place in the MAAC Division 2 Championships on Jan. 29, beating out Torah Day School of Atlanta.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ISRAEL

Israel Pride: Good News From Our Jewish Home

More good cancer work. Norway’s largest charitable organization, the Olav Thon Foundation, picked Tel Aviv University cancer geneticist Professor Yosef Shiloh as one of the two recipients of the foundation’s first international medical research award, Israel21c reports.

Autism research with Japan. Israeli and Japanese researchers are working together to discover how autistic spectrum disorders develop in the brain. The work follows the Advances in Brain Sciences conference jointly hosted by the Weizmann Institute of Science and Japan’s RIKEN Brain Science Institute.

Bringing smiles to Vietnam. Two surgeons from Rambam Medical Center in Haifa recently returned from a trip to Vietnam with Operation Smile, United With Israel reports. Omri Amudi and Zach Sharony worked with 300 other doctors to complete more than 500 reconstructive surgeries for cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities in children.

Positive outlook. The International Monetary Fund predicts that Israel’s economy will grow 3 percent this year, matching projections by the Bank of Israel, Israel Hayom reports. The IMF’s report on positive projections pegs Israel fifth, behind China, India, the United States and Mexico.

A nation of pedalers. Israel is investing $1.6 million into a program to encourage commuters to use public transportation or ride their bicycles to work in the congested cities in the center of the nation. The program includes expanded rentals of bicycles. A recent study concluded that 1,250 Israelis a year die from the air pollution produced by cars and buses.

Greener Tel Aviv depot. The Onya Collective is turning Tel Aviv’s massive concrete bus station into a blossoming center for urban ecology. The project includes growing plants hydroponically under special LED lights. Gardens grow lettuce and strawberries using

JNF Photo of the Week:

Growing a Jewish Future Jewish National Fund is proud to partner with the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Israel’s leading environmental nonprofit organization. For 60 years SPNI has been dedicated to protecting and preserving Israel’s natural resources, environment and landscape. Together, JNF and SPNI are helping preserve the land of Israel for generations to come, as they did in south Jerusalem by establishing a community garden in Emek Refaim.

For more information, visit www.jnf.org.

drip irrigation from the air-conditioning system.

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Speaking of irrigation. Israel is far and away the leading water-recycling and water-tech nation in the world, so it’s no surprise that Israeli water company Netafim has been selected for a $60 million micro-irrigation project in the Indian state of Karnataka. The project will increase crop production for 6,700 farmers across 22 villages while reducing their water consumption by 50 percent.

Deep in the heart of Texas. Kadimabased desalination giant IDE Technologies has opened its first U.S. office in Austin, Texas, to take advantage of the Lone Star State’s thirst for innovative water solutions, the Austin Business Journal reports.

While women may not even drive in some nations. Israel’s elections in March will include the first political party of and for Haredi women, Bizchutan (In Their Merit). Ruth Kuliak, a social activist, heads the party’s parliamentary list, followed by Noa Erez and Keren Mozen.

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Not all white cells are the same. Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found that neutrophils, which make up 50 percent to 70 percent of white blood cells, come in many subtypes, some of which fight cancer and some of which help cancer grow. The finding opens the way to battle cancer by encouraging the antitumor neutrophils and blocking the pro-tumor ones.

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Our View

Simply the Best

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he Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has long held a place as the Avis of Jewish film festivals: No. 2 but trying harder.

The king of Jewish film festivals is San Francisco, which was the first of its kind and maintains a claim as the biggest. But even with a 20-year head start, San Francisco’s lead has shrunk.

Sure enough, on opening night of the 15th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival at the Cobb Energy Centre on Jan. 28, we heard the call: This will be the year. Atlanta will be No. 1.

When we looked around that venue at more than 2,000 people enjoying “Above and Beyond,” the wonderful documentary about the birth of Israel’s air force, we believed. After all, the target to catch San Francisco is only 35,000.

No. 1, of course, is not typical for Atlanta in anything other than airline passengers. The 1995 Braves are the city’s only major professional sports champions, despite the best efforts of such Jewish community members as Arthur Blank, Steve Koonin and, in the past, Stan Kasten.

But the time feels right for the festival under longtime Executive Director Kenny Blank.

The festival has its new independence from the American Jewish Committee, providing the same freedom the San Francisco festival has to pursue arts funding and partnerships, to look for new venues, and to develop year-round programming. That new flexibility alone makes us confident that our film festival will be No. 1 by its chai (18th) birthday in 2018 if not sooner.

We could argue that Atlanta should already be considered No. 1, given that some of San Francisco’s attendance comes from screenings during Shabbat, a prime time to draw non-Jewish audiences. We’re proud that the Atlanta festival goes dark during Shabbat — not because we don’t welcome the many non-Jews who attend festival screenings, but because a Jewish festival should observe that most basic of Jewish mitzvot.

One of the fundamental purposes of the festival is to open interfaith dialogue and education, but that education should start with that basic lesson about Shabbat. No. 1 or No. 2, we hope the Atlanta film festival doesn’t change that policy.

We do hope that being No. 1 will make this a festival even more filmmakers point to for premieres. Eleven of the 50 feature-length films at this year’s Atlanta festival played last summer in San Francisco, including our opening and closing films (“Above and Beyond” and “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem”).

Overlap is inevitable; there are only so many Jewish-themed films. But we’d like to see the balance tip the other way, with more films coming here first and those that don’t being removed from consideration for opening or closing night. And maybe we can skip less essential films (“Touchdown Israel”) and those readily available on cable (“Regarding Susan Sontag,” “Comedy Warriors”).

Yes, we’re nitpicking; that’s what happens when you’re No. 1. ■

The Terror of Typos

I

I know we have suffered from typos in our have a confession to make: As much as I desfirst three issues and, no doubt, in this very issue. perately want you to read the Atlanta Jewish No typos are acceptable, but, without scouring Times each week (or more often online), I the newspaper, I’m sure we’ve had an excessive, generally don’t read the newspaper myself. embarrassing number of them since I’ve returned

Part of the reason is that I write and/or edit to the AJT. almost every word that goes into the paper before

I know we’ve had typos, even though I don’t we send it to the press. No matter how good the know what they are, because they are the inevistories, they’re far less interesting the second table consequence of bad (or third or fourth) time processes, no matter how around. good the people behind

But the bigger reathem. And our processes son is that reading the EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK at the AJT are bad. newspaper is tortuous for

By Michael Jacobs At a fundamental me. The only things new mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com level, we’ve put all our or different I’m going resources into ramping up to spot are things that the content of the newsshouldn’t be there: a typo paper, and our editorial staff of two is spending so in the lead of a story; a missing word in a headmuch time writing and editing that we don’t have line; a misspelled name in a caption; or, worst of spare capacity for adequate proofreading. What all, a missing letter that turns a normally harmproofreading we do runs into one of those process less word into something George Carlin couldn’t issues: Corrections have to go through our overhave said on television. worked page and ad designer, who can no more

Mistakes are the most miserable part of be expected to be perfect with words than I can be putting out a newspaper. One of the nice things expected to be perfect with graphic design. about working for an online-only news operation,

We’re going to get proofreading help, and which I have done twice, is that mistakes are we’re getting new equipment and software to ethereal. Mess something up? You fix it in secenable processes that work. The newspaper you onds, and, unless it was a headline error captured get a month from now will be better than this one, in the URL, it is gone. and that paper a month from now won’t compare

But with print, the error lives forever, an to what you’ll see in a year. embarrassment you can never escape. All you can

To my regret, the typos will never disappear, do is run a correction in the next edition, which is but they will become much harder to find. Bear a long week away for the AJT. with us until then. ■

All of that is a preamble to this: I apologize.

Get Your Tickets

We’re giving away one final pair of tickets to the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

This time, it’s “Dancing Arabs” at UA Tara on Feb. 16.

Check www.atlantajewishtimes.com on Feb. 9 for details on how you can enter and win.

OPINION

Meet 3 Israeli Gems Of Nonprofit World transparent. The IDI also has become involved with assisting the IDF and various police agencies with critical governance issues.

Yemin Orde (YO) is another incredible organization. Nestled in the Carmel Mountains, YO provides

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

By Michael A. Morris michael@atljewishtimes.com

a home to hundreds of abandoned children from Russia, Ethiopia, Europe and even Israel. It is a model, not for an orphanage, but for a real home for kids who have no other home. YO’s founding father, Chaim Perry, has created an establishment that unfortunately has proved difficult to replicate.

The Dalai Lama visited YO several years back and said it was the most effective institution at providing a family environment to its community that he ever witnessed.

Thousands of kids have grown up at YO, gone on to Army service, become fully integrated into Israeli society, and consider Yemin Orde their immediate family.

I have been involved with Friends of the IDF (FIDF) for ten years and have arranged IDF base tours for hundreds of people, including congregation missions, family b’nai mitzvah trips and FIDF-sponsored missions.

Most participants have told me that the visit to an IDF base was the highlight of the trip, if not the best experience they ever had in Israel. If you are unsure about that strong statement, ask Rabbi Scott Colbert, Rabbi Steven Rau or Mitchell Kopelman. More important, if you are planning a trip to Israel and want to include this experience, contact Seth Baron in Atlanta at Seth.Baron@FIDF.org.

In conclusion, I should mention that several synagogues are planning trips to Israel this summer, Birthright trips are one of the best ways to ensure Jewish continuity in America, JNF offers amazing missions to Israel, and so many people miss little gems when planning their itineraries to Israel, such as the Palmach Museum, the Ayalon Institute, Machane Yehuda Street and Dialogue in the Dark. But all that will have to wait for another issue. ■

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I

srael holds a special place in my heart. I remember my dad talking about Israel growing up. I remember hearing about the wars at home, in school and in the news. I remember listening to and reading speeches from Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan. It wasn’t until we took a family trip to Israel, however, that we bonded.

On my first day in Israel, as I approached Jerusalem for the first time on my way to the King David Hotel, the tour guide said: “On the left is the old part of Jerusalem and on the right is the new section.” I looked to the left and saw an ancient wall. I looked to the right, and all the buildings predated the oldest building I had seen in the States. I queried our driver what was old and what was new, and he replied that everything on the left was built pre-Crusades and everything on the right, post-Crusades. That put Israel into perspective: “New” predated the discovery of America by a couple of hundred years.

Since that time, I have visited Israel about 20 times for missions, family trips, b’nai mitzvah, work, Passover and just to visit friends. One of my involvements is raising money and awareness for unique Israeli charitable organizations, including the Israel Democracy Institute, Yemin Orde, and Friends of the IDF.

The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) is a nonpartisan think tank created by Arya Carmon and assists the Israeli government to govern itself more effectively.

For example, 25 years ago, the IDI offered Knesset members (and committees) legislative assistants for research into proposed legislation.

The Knesset offered its members no budget for legislative aides. The only staffing resource a member was afforded was one secretary, and often that person was shared with another member. After the IDI provided staff research assistants for ten years to meet a growing demand of legislative issues, the Knesset determined that it needed staffing budgets so that members and committees could hire independent research teams.

In other areas, the IDI has been extremely constructive in providing the Knesset with tools to make the budgetary process more effective and

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

OPINION

Not in My Lifetime

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

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had a colleague who lamented that in our lifetimes the average American would not experience spaceflight.

We were baby boomers, raised when the promise of exploring the heavens fueled imagination. I wore my John Glenn “Friendship Seven” helmet and pretended that I was an astronaut.

I was a child dreaming a child’s dreams.

Sunday school in those years included black-and-white films of a Jewish nation growing into adulthood.

Scenes of young kibbutzniks making the desert bloom and an army of “our” people defending their land were meant to instill pride. Those “other” people were the enemy.

There was only one narrative.

In adulthood, a child’s world of black and white, of easily discerned good and evil, is replaced by shades of gray. Certainties give way to doubts. Questions are asked, and the answers are not always comfortable. History becomes open to interpretation when studied in detail. Seeing a place in person adds context and color.

My first drive from Jerusalem into the West Bank was in the preintifada mid-1980s. My guide was a colleague who became a friend, an American who had made aliyah shortly before the Yom Kippur War.

As he steered through Jewish neighborhoods into Arab neighborhoods, he said that he believed 95 percent of the people on both sides wanted nothing more than to raise their children in peace, do their work and enjoy their lives. It was the 5 percent on both sides that were the obstacle, he said.

I used to joke that there were no good days left on the calendar. I now say it without humor. Every date is filled with what one people consider an atrocity committed by the other.

Every discussion/debate/argument is framed by what happened in (pick a year). There is no end to the history invoked. The pessimists ridicule the optimists. The optimists pity the pessimists.

For a decade, with each stop Ninth Series Jubilee Bonds ($25,000 minimum) for 10 Years

3.12

on the peace train — Madrid, Oslo, Wye River, Camp David — optimists thought that maybe, just maybe, the train would reach its destination.

Again and again, the optimists had their hopes dashed, and the pessi-

FROM WHERE I SIT

By Dave Schechter

mists had their distrust affirmed.

That train derailed a while back. If there is a desire to right the train and resume the trip, one side must push while the other side pulls — at the same time. Arguing about who did not push or pull their weight in the past will leave the train lying on the side of the tracks.

From a distance, the issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians may appear black and white. The closer one gets, the more shades of gray emerge. Some of the issues are decades old. Others have their roots in the centuries.

The pessimists say they cannot be bridged. The optimists say it is necessary to try. If you give up trying, you are left with status quo, and that cannot be maintained.

I suspect that the 5 percent on each side three decades ago is greater now. The years have embittered people, and attitudes have calcified.

With each passing generation, the timeline for peace — even as its definition is debated — moves further out. Today’s children have been fated by history to an adversarial relationship. A generation not yet born will have to find a way out.

I gave up that dream of spaceflight years ago. In recent years I’ve conceded, reluctantly, that I no longer expect peace — as I define it — in my lifetime. I would be delighted to be proved wrong, but dreaming won’t make it so.

Dave Schechter began his professional career as a newspaper reporter and then as assignment editor for two television stations. He moved to Atlanta in 1987 with CNN. ■ Ninth Series Maccabee Bonds % ($5,000 minimum) for 10 Years

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Netanyahu, GOP Endanger U.S. Ties

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n the “Our View” opinion piece “Play Nice, Kids” Jan. 30, the Atlanta Jewish Times contends that Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama “disagree on every substantive issue in the U.S.Israel relationship.” One can only surmise that the writers are prepared to dismiss as nonsubstantive those actions, not just rhetoric, on which the two countries’ leaders obviously do agree, including $3.1 billion in annual U.S. aid to Israel; U.S. replenishment of Iron Dome munitions after Israel’s war with Hamas; historically unprecedented, ongoing military collaboration and cooperation; and U.S. efforts to prevent a Palestinian state from gaining recognition in international bodies.

Even where there is disagreement, primarily over the negotiations with Iran, it is a disagreement about tactics, not the overarching goal of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, about which there is a consensus in the entire Western world, thanks to American leadership.

But it’s apparent that Netanyahu also doesn’t place much value on or simply takes for granted these and the many other benefits of American patronage that Israel enjoys, benefits that exist because the two countries do see eye to eye on the most substantive issues.

More disturbing is Netanyahu’s decision to play politics with the long-standing bipartisan U.S. support for Israel by scheming (is there any other word for it?) with congressional Republicans to bypass the White House and their Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill. As the opinion piece does correctly point out, there is no love lost in the relationship between Netanyahu and Obama. But it is the Israeli prime minister, not the U.S. president, who has chosen to bring the private distaste into the public eye.

At the recent Marcus JCC Book Festival, Rabbi Daniel Gordis

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was asked about the relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and a different U.S.

GUEST COLUMN

By Shai Robkin

president, Jimmy Carter. Gordis noted that while Begin personally despised Carter, he was careful to avoid showing his disdain in public.

Even those who objected to Begin’s policies recognized that in the international sphere he remained the consummate diplomat at all times. Apparently, as the AJT editorial states, Netanyahu has “used up every ounce of his diplomatic reserve.”

There are many in the American Jewish community who believe that public statements in the United States regarding the Jewish state should be limited to support of the policies and positions as determined by the democratically elected Israeli government. But even those who hold that opinion would certainly recognize that such unqualified backing for Israel must stop at the line where the statements and actions of Israel’s leaders endanger the bipartisan support that the country has so long enjoyed in Congress as well as in the White House.

It is not surprising that we have seen no public statement from AIPAC concerning Netanyahu’s scheduled address to Congress.

However, we should all hope that behind closed doors AIPAC is making it clear to Republicans and Democrats that supporters of Israel in no way endorse the invitation that Speaker John Boehner extended to Netanyahu and that all care should be taken to keep support for Israel from becoming a tool for partisan political gamesmanship. And that same message needs to be delivered loud and clear to the Israeli leadership. ■

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LOCAL NEWS

Jacobson Fights for Real Inclusion

Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities works for civil rights

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ric Jacobson, the executive director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, got his start at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Parents seeking support from Federation in the 1990s turned him on to the needs and rights of those living with disabilities.

He talked to the Atlanta Jewish Times to mark the arrival of February, which is Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. As part of the month’s observance, Jacobson will speak at Temple Kehillat Chaim in Roswell during Shabbat services Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit kehillatchaim.org.

He also is preparing for the annual Disability Day at the Georgia Capitol on March 5; visit GCDD.org for more information.

How did this work become your passion?

This is a civil rights issue. It’s easy to get caught up in the energy and passion of people involved with fighting for the rights of those with disabilities. If you make a place in the world for those with disabilities, you can make a place for everybody.

You have been at the GCDD since 1992. What is your greatest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment is the creation of communities that bring people with and without disabilities together, figuring out how to integrate people within communities so that those with disabilities are contributing members of a community.

For example?

In Clarkston, we worked with a mom who lives in an apartment complex with a child with disabilities.

There was no place for children to play safely — the local playground was concrete and full of glass. We worked with the landlord to build a playground for all children, which brought other moms together. This group of working moms discovered commonalities, formed a co-op day care, and now the children with disabilities are in an inclusive day care program.

The moral of the story is …

Clarkston residents recognized that common interests are more important than interests that tear people apart.

What will March 5, Disability Day at the Capitol, look like?

We use it as an opportunity for people to get in front of their legislators. There’s a huge energy. We get 2,500 people for one of the largest events GCDD hosts. When I am talking with that group, I absorb that energy, and there is no better place for me to be. We have a great time showing legislators the power of disability.

If you could have one guest who really made the event amazing, who would it be?

Can I name two? President Barack Obama and Rep. John Lewis.

The president has done so much to elevate the conversation about disabilities. He encourages employment, supports efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities, and closed institutions, which is what needed to happen. And John Lewis because of the civil rights connection.

I knew you were going to say John Lewis!

You did? Both together would make an incredible voice about where we need to go as a country, as a people, as people with disabilities.

Either of them would deliver the exact message I want to hear resonated at that rally.

Years ago I chaperoned seventhgraders from the Epstein School to Washington, D.C. John Lewis came to speak. There was John Lewis wading into a crowd of seventh-graders, sitting with them on the steps of the Capitol, telling these kids, “I know your grandmother. She and I marched together.” It was a tearjerker. This man was telling the story of civil rights to seventh-graders, who have no attention span; they were mesmerized. He’d be so great at Disability Day. Have you reached out?

Yes. It’s still a possibility. You never know.

This year’s motto?

Fulfilling the promise of ADA

with real careers, real homes, real communities and real learning.

What is the most important issue on the docket this year for legislation?

The wait list: 7,500 people are Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Executive Director Eric Jacobson poses with first lady Sandra Deal and Gov. Nathan Deal at the waiting for 2013 Disability Day at the Capitol downtown. services. That number is actually low because some people have ity issues during your talk on never registered for the services they Feb. 20? need. We estimate the true number I’ve learned over the last to be around 20,000. We have to talk 20-something years to listen to peoabout what we are willing to pay for ple’s stories and pull out the gifts and what we’re not. For many with that people have. Once we recognize developmental disabilities and their there are gifts, how do we use those to families, they want to be part of com- make a congregation a better place? munity, but they need support. Those If our synagogue community is segreare often paid supports [funded by gating even one person, shame on us. the government]. If we aren’t will- My grandparents and elders taught ing to ante up dollars, we will leave me that we are all in this together.

We take care of each other. If we are people in the dust. not willing to tell legislators that How do you hope to connect the more money needs to go to the wait Jewish community with disabil- list, we miss a great opportunity. ■

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

By Logan C. Ritchie

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Sacks: World Has Been Warned

‘Hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews’

By Suzi Brozman ord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the Commonwealth, global religious leader, philosopher, prolific author and esteemed moral voice, will be in Atlanta next week.

He will offer a public lecture (fully booked) at Young Israel of Toco Hills on Feb. 11, then will spend time downtown at the international convention of BBYO, where more than 3,500 high school students, parents, staffers and educators will interact with him. Before his trip, he spoke by phone with the Atlanta Jewish Times about world Jewry, global anti-Semitism and more.

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and the Palestinians engaged in political conflict. You can think your way through this, but it’s harder to think your way through two incommensurate worlds. The failure of Western media to understand Israel’s point of view doesn’t help. We only want impartiality.

What about the sudden growth of anti-Semitism?

Sacks: You don’t solve problems by making them seem simple. It’s a principle in Roman law.

Justice means to hear the other side. That is not happening right now … not because we are Jews, but because we are human, and Why is it important for you to ad- we care about justice. These are not easy issues — when all you do dress young people?

Sacks: When I was young, I trav- is see an image without context, eled around the States. I met a huge people are going to jump to the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks warns that anti-Semitism number of rabbis, including Rabbi wrong conclusions. Justice is bedoesn’t end with the Jews.

Soloveitchik and the Lubovitcher ing fair to both sides. caust. Are we about to relive that One thing I did as chief rabbi rebbe. I had no intention of being a dangerous time? rabbi, but they inspired me to en- was to make friends with Chris Sacks: Anti-Semitism is not the gage in Jewish thinking. I made a tians, Muslims, secular … all sorts same today as in 1933. The difference vow to try to do the same with people of friends. We have to resist parais Israel. Then we had no place to go. of the age I was then. Young Jews noia, to avoid rushing to judgment.

Today we have one place — when you are really hungry to think through We have enemies, but we tend to go there, they have to take you in. We their Jewish identity. In the U.S. we forget we have friends — good, loyal are no longer a homeless, powerless should be very proud to have such friends. We would have more if we people, so this time we can stand and young people in our midst, engaging reached out. fight.

You have potential friends. You in thinking about our people, our fu-

But we are talking about an age go and turn them into real and acture. of terror. What are our enemies aimtual friends. See the commentary ing at? They’re aiming at terrorizing.

Do you see youngsters as less on Pirke Avot — who is a hero? One The killings in Paris, the killings in engaged than in the past? If so, who turns an enemy into a friend. A Denmark, aim to intimidate. If we sworn enemy you cannot turn into a why? are fraught with terror, we are hand Sacks: The first utterance of a friend. You have to defend yourself ing them a victory. What can we do? young child is “Why?” What we’re against a sworn enemy.

We can start by reading Psalm 23 dealing with here, after the first 50 daily, we say to the religious. To the years of the state of Israel, is Israel You write a lot about the Holononreligious, we teach young children the song “Life is a very narrow bridge; the main thing is never to be afraid.”

The Charlie Hebdo attack was a turning point, the moment it became clear to all of Europe that an attack on Jews is ultimately an attack on everyone. It is on the West, the “Big AJR’s flexible scheduling allows for full-time or part-time study.

Satan.” It is the biggest challenge we Stay overnight, return home after class. face — hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. We have to face this thread together. We have to conquer the fear. Faith conquers fear.

I can’t relocate to NEW YORK, so how can I become a RABBI or CANTOR?

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

You can do it at AJR.

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ORDAINING RABBIS AND CANTORS FOR ALL JEWISH COMMUNITIES 28 WELLS AVENUE, YONKERS, NY WWW.AJRSEM.ORG

For more information, please contact

Cantor Lisa Klinger-Kantor at 914-709-0900 x14

Do you think today’s people have as much faith as in the past?

Sacks: We’ve had a huge crisis of

faith. We saw it in the 17th century with Spinoza. Exile had gone on too long. The Jews in Spain had experienced their golden age, but they saw it turn to dust.

They became atheists — look at Spinoza, Karl Marx, Freud. They felt they’d kept their bargain with G-d, but G-d hadn’t kept his bargain with them. Many people felt they were being persecuted in the name of G-d. I won’t criticize a Jew for losing faith; in fact, having faith is a miracle. Having meaning in life is so important. …

Faith makes marriages, creates communities.

Judaism is a faith which is good for the mind. It encourages you to ask questions and engage in argument. It is good for the body. It teaches you how not to give in to instinct. We are the people whose name means the one who wrestles with faith and prevails.

Why are people beginning to doubt, to deny the Holocaust?

Sacks: Read Galbraith’s “The Great Crash.” Written about the crash of 1929, it was only published 25 years later. People asked him if there could be another crash. He said no, we still remember it. But as soon as they forgot, it happened again, in 2008. That’s why we have to remember it, so it won’t happen again.

It may not be about Jews this time. Mostly Christians and Muslims are dying now. The essence of why we must remember is that it was a crime against humanity. Humanity is going through a period of turbulence; lie when the pilot says please fasten your seat belts. People get afraid. The politics of fear is bad news. I wrote “The Politics of Hope” 20 years ago … the antidote to the politics of fear.

What’s next for you?

Sacks: My next book is due out in time for Yayikra: “Covenant and Conversation: Vayikra.” It’s the most difficult of the books to understand today — sanctity, kedusha, holiness, purity, sacrifice. ■ To read more of Rabbi Sacks’ thinking, check out his website, RabbiSacks.org, where you can subscribe to his weekly parsha commentary. You also can follow him on Twitter (@ RabbiSacks).

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

LOCAL NEWS

Exhibit Highlights Aliyah Bet, Machal pilots in World War II not only flew in the new air force after the War of Independence broke out in May 1948, but also played a crucial airlift role in flying weapons from Czechoslovakia, the only country that didn’t observe an international arms embargo against Israel after the U.N. partition vote in November 1947.

The Machal airlift ultimately spanned 95 1,800mile flights from Czechoslovakia and carried to Israel 25 disassembled planes and 35 tons of arms and ammunition, including 15,000 rifles, 4,000 machine guns and 3 million rounds of ammunition.

Forty-one North American Machalniks died during Aliyah Bet and the War of Independence, and the exhibit memorializes them.

After the war, 200 of the foreign volunteers stayed in Israel; others made aliyah later. But most of the volunteers came home to North America and resumed their lives.

They created an organization of veterans called American Veterans of Israel, which has been succeeded by AVILC.

One of its members, Ralph Lowenstein, the dean of the journalism school at the University of Florida, spent 25 years assembling an archive of the stories of the Americans and Canadians who were involved in Aliya Bet and Machal. That archive was donated to the American Jewish Historical Society in New York and became the basis of the mobile exhibit. ■ For more from opening night of the film festival, see Pages 22 to 24.

Above: One of the 14 panels in the American Veterans of Israel Legacy Corp. exhibit recognizes the 41 North American volunteers who died helping establish the state of Israel.

Right: Exhibit photos

by Noah Appley Below: The traveling exhibit tells the story of the 1,500 foreign volunteers, collectively known as Machal, who smuggled immigrants through the British blockade, an effort known as Aliyah Bet. Photo by Bob Pepalis

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pening night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival included a special display of an exhibit created to honor the 1,500 American and Canadian World War II veterans who volunteered to help smuggle Jewish refugees into Palestine from 1945 to 1948 and then to help Israel win its independence.

The exhibit reveals the bigger story of which the opening-night documentary, “Above and Beyond,” tells one piece, the creation of the Israeli air force.

The exhibit is a creation of the American Atlanta lawyer Elizabeth Appley is the daughter Veterans of of a Machalnik, George Israel LegaSamuel Appley, a sailor. cy Corp. and the American Jewish Historical Society.

Through the efforts and contributions of Rabbi Brad Levenberg of Temple Sinai, Rabbis Mario Karpuj and Analia Bortz of Congregation Or Hadash, Sara Ghitis, Irv Schoenberg, and others, the exhibit has been displayed in locations around Atlanta, including Temple Sinai, Or Hadash and the Marcus Jewish Community Center, since just before the High Holidays.

The exhibit must return to New York at the beginning of March, but AVILC Vice President Elizabeth Appley said her organization is looking for some final locations around Atlanta to display the 14 panels this month.

Appley’s father, George, served on the SS Hagana, one of the ten American ships that were acquired, retrofitted and sent to Europe to beat the British naval blockade and bring the remnants of European Jewry to Palestine between 1945 and 1948.

That immigrant-smuggling operation was known as Aliyah Bet. George Appley was one of 240 Americans and Canadians who manned those ships. They were part of the larger volunteer force known by the Hebrew acronym Machal for “volunteers from abroad.” The Machalniks fought in virtually every unit of the newly created Israeli armed forces. As shown in “Above and Beyond,” those who served as

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www.atlantajewishtimes.com

HOLOCAUST

Georgia Honors 6 Liberators

Capitol ceremony commemorates international remembrance day

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FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

win members of Atlanta’s Jewish community were among six Georgia World War II veterans honored at the state Capitol on Jan. 27 for their roles in liberating Nazi concentration camps between January and May 1945.

Hilbert Margol of Dunwoody and Howard Margol of Sandy Springs served in the 42nd Infantry Division, known as the Rainbow Division, which had a Jewish chaplain, Capt.

Eli Bohnen. The 42nd liberated Dachau on April 29, 1945.

Also honored by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust during the International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Capitol: • George Aigen of Valdosta, who was not present.

• Frank Benson of Loganville, who was represented by his wife, Edith.

• William Alexander Scott III of Atlanta, who was represented by his

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daughter, Alexis.

• Rep. John Yates (R-Griffin).

Those men are profiled with a new panel in the commission’s exhibit series “Georgia’s Response to the Holocaust.”

Opher Aviran (left), Israel’s consul general

That panel, “Witnesses to Liberato the Southeast, joins (from right) House Speaker David Ralston, Rep. John Yates tion,” is on display at the “Anne Frank (R-Griffin), Georgia Commission on the in the World: 1929-1945” exhibit in SanHolocaust Executive Director Sally Levine, dy Springs.

Hilbert Margol, Edith Benson, Alexis Scott The soldiers who liberated the and Howard Margol at the Georgia Capitol camps, many of whom were in their to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. late teens or early 20s, took years to process what they had experienced, and their memories and the responsibility to bear witness have stayed with them.

“The Holocaust happened because individuals, organizations and governments made choices that not only legalized discrimination, but also allowed prejudice, hatred and ultimately mass murder to occur,” Sally Levine, the commission’s executive director, said during the Capitol ceremony. “The history of the Holocaust demands that we reflect upon the moral questions raised by this unprecedented event and examine our responsibilities as citizens in a democracy.”

Yates sponsored H.R. Longtime Atlanta Jewish community members Hilbert (left) and Howard Margol, shown with Rep. John Yates 48, which recognized Jan. 27 on Jan. 27, were part of the 42nd Infantry Division as International Holocaust when it liberated Dachau on April 29, 1945.

Remembrance Day at the Georgia Capitol. The day marked the and tyranny,” the resolution reads.

70th anniversary of the liberation of The resolution cites the value of Auschwitz.

Holocaust history for reflection on the

“The citizens of the State of Geor- moral responsibilities of people, govgia should always remember the terri- ernments and societies and calls on ble events of the Holocaust and remain Georgians to rededicate themselves to vigilant against hatred, persecution individual freedom in a just society. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

HOLOCAUST

Teaching the Holocaust

Kennesaw workshop emphasizes tough questions, survivors’ voices

By Anna Streetman workshop at Kennesaw State University helped educators of all levels learn about teaching the Holocaust.

More than 30 teachers attended the workshop Thursday and Friday, Jan. 29 and 30, at the Museum of History and Holocaust Education. The free workshop was made possible through Kennesaw State’s partnership with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust.

Holocaust survivor Hershel Greenblat, who spent Catherine Lewis, the assistant vice president for museums, archives and rare books

Thursday began with a film the first years of his life hiding from the Nazis at Kennesaw State, leads a breakout session on university-level Holocaust studies called “No Place on Earth,” a docuin the caves of Ukraine, shares his story Jan. 30. Photos: Courtesy of the Museum of History and Holocaust Education with workshop attendees Jan. 30. drama based on the story of Chris taught the Holocaust twice. When Nicola, a New York police officer her, “You will be my voice when I am morial Museum with guidelines for teaching the Holocaust, he stresses and caving enthusiast who visited no longer here.” teaching the Holocaust. The handout empathy above anything else. “It’s Ukraine to explore the Vertebra and Levine then became more deter- emphasizes defining the Holocaust important to make the Holocaust Priest’s Grotto caves. He discovered mined to teach Holocaust literature and its historical context, maintainmatter to non-Jewish people,” he that Jews hid in the caves during the and make sure the survivors’ stories ing objectivity, not romanticizing the said. “Many kids at that age think, Holocaust, and he set out on a quest are never forgotten.

Holocaust, and not teaching that the ‘So what? It’s not happening to me.’ to find the survivors.

Literature was passed out Holocaust was inevitable.

Empathy is important not just for Friday was split into three parts throughout the workshop, including a Workshop attendee Matt Taylearning about the Holocaust, but in and began with a question about the handout from the U.S. Holocaust Me- lor is a fifth-grade teacher who has life.” ■ roles people played during the Holocaust. Laura Boughton, a teacher with over 20 years’ experience, asked the tough questions: “We all say we would be one of the rescuers; we would help the Jews. But would we?

It’s amazing how quickly our roles NINETEENTH ANNUAL LECTURE in the can change.”

TENENBAUM FAMILY LECTURE SERIES in JUDAIC STUDIES The presentation began with a group picture of friends before World War II. Two of them were Jewish, and a third turned out to be a conAssociate Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies centration camp officer.

Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion At another point during the Friday workshop, Georgia Commission on the Holocaust Executive Director Sally Levine spoke about the importance of Holocaust literature. She There is more to becoming Orthodox than observing religious laws. defined Holocaust literature as more Newly Orthodox Jews, or ba’alei teshuva (lit. ‘those who return’), than just books, also including picencounter a very different culture, including new ways of talking, tures, letters, diagrams and more. dressing, and acting. Focusing on the Yiddish and Hebrew words used by “I think the most important English-speaking Orthodox Jews, this lecture explores how “BTs” thing to remember about Holocaust integrate into the community partly by taking on these new practices. literature is dignity,” she said. “It’s important before you show any HoFebruary 26, 2015 locaust literature that you ask yourThursday, 7:30pm self, ‘Would the person be OK with Reception Hall being portrayed in this way?’ They Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University deserve to be presented in a dignified This event is free and open to the public ~ Please join us for a reception following the lecture fashion.”

Free parking available at Fishburne and Peavine Parking Decks She reminisced about an experience with Nesse Godin, a Lithuanian Holocaust survivor who has devoted her life to educating people about the Holocaust. During a seminar of Godin’s, Godin gave Levine a hug and told 17

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Sarah Bunim Benor

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism

AJT

HOLOCUAST

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

The First Shabbat After Liberation SS man to guard us. assume a resemblance Less than half of to human beings. The the convoy that startnumbness of spirit was ed that march of death still there, but we were was still present and beginning to think of alive. other things besides The others were food and sleep. left in the ditches at On May 8, Gerthe roadsides and in many formally surrenlittle groves on the dered, and soon after sides of the highway of we ventured on foot to torment. Shot, clubbed the nearest town, Eggto death, or just exenfelden. pired from hunger and We met other liberexhaustion. On May 1, ated prisoners of differNorbert Friedman the American troops ent nationalities. There marched into the village was talk of repatriation, of going of Hebertselden, where we were hidhome for many, but not so much for ing, and the war was over for us. the Jew from Poland.

Our liberators, the American soldiers, in their mercy and compassion In conversations with other forshowered us with whatever food they mer inmates, we heard that in a village some 20 miles away someone could spare.

My father, a group of some saw female inmates, survivors of friends and I had settled down to an another march, and that they were existence in a farmhouse, where my Jewish women. father would not let us have anything That evening the women were but watered-down milk and bread to the topic of the conversation in our eat and then after a few days some farmhouse. What camp did they chicken broth and soft-boiled eggs. come from? What could their home His experience from World War I of have been?

We had not seen a Jewish woman dealing with hunger and starvation since the summer of 1944, nearly a probably saved our lives, for many whole year. died after the liberation from eating

We decided to go and find these too much too soon. women; maybe they would know Slowly we began to regain physisomething about the fate of the womcal strength. The skeletons began to en from our region. There was faint hope that maybe they knew something about our families, and maybe, just maybe, they were our kin.

The next day three of our group set out for the village of Simbach, where the women were seen. We took with us whatever rations we had from the American soldiers, Crations, K-rations and cigarettes.

BY

We hitched a ride with an AmeriJOSHUA HARMON can Army jeep for a few kilometers, DIRECTED BY then we started to walk. After a FREDDIE couple of tiring hours of marching, ASHLEY we were able to engage a German farmer to take us the rest of the way on his horse-driven wagon.

As payment, we gladly parted with our cigarettes.

In the village we were directed to the house where the women were staying. Three other male survivors were there, having come for the same reasons as we did: to see Jewish women and to find out, if possible, JANUARY 24 – FEBRUARY 22, 2015 what happened to the women of their lives.

A C TO R S - E X P R E S S. C O M | 4 0 4 . 6 0 7 . 7 4 6 9 They led us to a room with two

By Al Shams eaders might remember two previous Atlanta Jewish Times articles in the past year about Holocaust survivor Norbert Friedman. The first article was a personal profile on his incredible life; the second described his first Thanksgiving in November 1945.

Norbert was born in Krakow in 1922 and during World War II was imprisoned in 11 camps, faced death on numerous occasions and was liberated by the U.S. Army in May 1945.

He has spoken and lectured extensively on his experiences and wrote a book, “Sunrays at Midnight,” that details his experience.

Auschwitz was liberated on Jan. 27, 1945. In March and April 1945, the German army was in collapse.

Against this backdrop, inmates were being moved in death marches, executions continued, and hunger and disease were widespread.

Below is Norbert’s account of his first Shabbat:

On April 23, 1945, our camp in Ganacker, southern Bavaria, was being closed, and the inmates set out on a tortuous march, destination unknown. Later we found out that it was to be Camp Muhldorf, a camp with extermination facilities.

On April 25, because of the proximity of fighting, we were told to disperse in small groups, each with an

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BADJEWS

beds, a table and a few chairs. On the walls we could detect the vacant spaces of removed, undesirable religious pictures and objects that once hung there.

The three girls were in the farmer’s kitchen and entered shortly.

Even though we were hardened and accustomed to seeing one another in our state of physical deterioration, we were shocked to see these women — Jewish women — the embodiment of our memories of our mothers, our sisters, our sweethearts.

We were shaken to see them as starved, emaciated, shapeless, gaunt figures in striped concentration camp caftans, heads shaven, eyes set back in their sockets, the agony of their ordeals deeply etched in their faces.

We initiated the conversation by asking where they were from.

The girls were in their 20s, yet they seemed so much older. They knew nothing of the women from our parts.

We handed to the girls our gifts of canned food. We sat on the edge of the beds, exchanging stories and information, deeply disappointed for not having found out anything about our loved ones.

Dusk was slowly settling in the room when the girls got up and declared: “It must be time to light the Shabbos licht” — the Shabbat candles.

They startled us. We did not realize it was Friday, and if we had, it would have held no meaning for us, for we did not know Shabbat for such a long time.

The girls put fresh, white kerchiefs on their shaven heads and then lighted the candles.

The room seemed suddenly transformed, warm and aglow. We got up, shyly and awkwardly kissed the girls on their cheeks, and with difficulty got out the long forgotten words: “Goot Shabbos.”

Someone quietly intoned: “Shalom Aleichem, Malachai, Hashoorai.”

The rest of us picked it up slowly. We linked arms and embraced, the first tears in freedom streaking down our cheeks in sadness.

Gradually, our voices grew stronger and louder, in a note of defiance and hope, for we were here. As long as there were Jewish women, there would be a Jewish way of life, Jewish children and a Jewish future.

We have denied Hitler his final victory. Am Yisrael chai. ■

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

EDUCATION

High-Tech Winners

Day school students collect ribbons at annual tech fair Carson Wolff, technology literacy challenge. Finishing first among fifthand sixth-graders: Sydney Leahy and Annalise Hardy, digital video production; Matthew Aronin, multimedia applications; Jacob Frank, project programming; Sammy Isaacs and Stuart Cohen, robotics; and Emma Tessler, Web 2.0 Internet applications. Among seventh- and eighth-graders, these students advanced: Josh Glass, 3-D modeling; Eliza Frankel and Sarah Kaufman, digital video production; Adam Prass, game design; Avi Frank (third-grade entry), hardware; Katy Sullivan and Nicole Ganelin, nonanimated graphic design; Tristan Costley and Adam Prass, robotics; and Austin Margol, technology literacy challenge.

Six of Weber’s entries earned first-place ribbons: Amanda Kraun, digital photography, ninth and 10th grades; Sindy Snider, digital photography,

11th and 12th grades; Justin Cobb and Daniel Whitesides, robotics, 11th and 12th grades; Rourke Rabinowitz, programming challenge and technology literacy challenge, 11th and 12th grades; and Parker Zaglin, hardware, ninth and 10th grades.

Atlanta Jewish Academy students earned nine first-place ribbons, 11

second-place ribbons and five thirdplace ribbons. Advancing to the state competition from AJA: Ilan Benamram, 3-D modeling, third and fourth grades; Jared Amdur (with Zack Naturman of the Epstein School), 3-D modeling, fifth and sixth grades; Sharon Hatami, animated graphic design, third and fourth grades; Yoni Kas-

sorla and Ben Goldberg, digital audio, third and fourth grades; Paulina Lebowitz, digital photography, fifth and sixth grades; Noa Rudisch and Lillian Zaidel, nonmultimedia applications, third and fourth grades; Dan Jutan, individual programming challenge and mobile apps design, ninth and 10th grades; and Shaun Regenbaum, robotics, ninth and 10th grades. ■ Top: These Davis Academy Middle School students won ribbons at the tech fair: back row (from left), Josh Glass, Katy Sullivan, Sarah Kaufman, Adam Prass, Tristan Costley and Austin Margol; and front row (from left), Jacob Frank, Emma Tessler, Nicole Ganelin, Eliza Frankel and Matthew Aronin.

Middle right: These Davis Academy Lower School students won ribbons at the tech fair (Sammy Isaacs is not pictured: back row (from left), Leah Moradi, Jack Anderson, Carson Wolff, Annalise Hardy, Emily Mand, Sydney Leahy, Grace Wolf, Stuart Cohen and Emily Hoff; and front row (from left), Harrison Green, Avi Frank and Jordan Frank.

Middle left: Dan Jutan (left) and Shaun Regenbaum are AJA tech fair winners at the high school level. Not pictured is Ben Ogden.

Left: The following AJA Greenfield Lower and Middle School students won ribbons at the tech fair (Lewis Hirsch, Yoni Kassorla and Levi Linowes are not pictured): back row (from left), Paulina Lebowitz, Jared Amdur, Bobbi Sloan, Yoni Greene, Wade Rabinowitz, Adam Cohen, Nathan Posner, Deena Glusman and Gabriel Weiss; middle row (from left), Ilan Benamram, Lillian Zaidel, Ben Goldberg, Josh Schulman, Sammy Lebowitz, Noa Rudisch, Sam Kutner, Jacob Grant and Sam Brenner; and front row (from left), Zachary Amdur, Miriam Raggs, Rachel Pechenik, Adam Berkowitz, Jordan Joel, Ellie Rusotto, Ariel Scher, Ethan Rolnick and Doran Levin.

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

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he 11th annual North Atlanta Jewish Students’ Technology Fair produced dozens of winners Jan. 25 at the Weber School. The competition brought together students from Atlanta Jewish Academy, Davis Academy, the Epstein School, Riverwood High School, Torah Day School of Atlanta, Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael, North Druid Hills High School and Weber.

Epstein’s results are being delayed by an illness that kept some of the winners out of school; they will appear in a future AJT issue. We also invite all other schools to send their results and photos of their winners to mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com.

All students who won first-place ribbons qualified for the Georgia Educational Technology Fair in Macon.

The following Davis third- and fourth-graders won: Leah Moradi, digital video production; Avi Frank, game design; Grace Wolf and Emily Hoff, mobile apps design; Emily Mand, non-animated graphic design; Jordan Frank and Harrison Green, project programming; Carson Wolff and Jack Anderson, robotics; and

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CALENDAR

Where Great Music Thrives “Spivey Hall in Morrow takes home the blue ribbon as the region’s best small concert space.”

CLAYTON STATE UNIVERSITY MORROW, GEORGIA

– Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SHAI WOSNER PIANO

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 3:00 PM | $46 Israeli pianist Shai Wosner’s playing reveals “a keen musical mind and deep musical soul” (NPR, All Things Considered). “A remarkable blend of the intellectual, physical and even devilish sides of performance” caught the attention of the Chicago Sun-Times: “Complexity clearly attracts him, but so does its translation into apparent ease in performing.” Lyrical and deeply considered, “This is

pianism of the very highest order, involving and full-blooded” (International Piano).

Friends of Spivey Hall Concert Sponsors: Dr. William & Mary Land

PROGRAM Franz SCHUBERT and Frédéric CHOPIN Impromptus Joseph HAYDN and György LIGETI Capriccios Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Sonata in C major, Op. 2 No. 3

SEE THE COMPLETE 2014-2015 CONCERT SEASON AT:

www.SpiveyHall.org TICKETS: (678) 466-4200

This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly.

GCA also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.

A Taste of Persia 1814 Peachtree St Atlanta, GA 30309

Shabbat - Holiday - Special Event Lunch - Dinner - Banquet

Happy Valentine Day

JEWISH TRIAL LAWYER JAN SCHLICHTMANN, who made his reputation in high-profile environmental class-action cases and was played by John Travolta in the movie “A Civil Action,” is speaking about fighting polluters in court at an event Tuesday, Feb. 10, hosted

by GreenLaw and the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory School. The noon session is at the State Bar of Georgia headquarters, 104 Marietta St., downtown Atlanta. Tickets Jan Schlichtmann are $50. GreenLaw’s Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (404-964-7025 or sbenfield@greenlaw. org) and the Turner Environmental Law Clinic’s Mindy Goldstein (404-727-3432 or magolds@emory.edu) can provide more information.

ONGOING Through Feb. 22. The comedy play “Bad Jews” runs Wednesdays through Sundays at Actor’s Express, 887 W. Marietta St., Suite J-107, Atlanta. Tickets are $26 to $46; actorsexpress.com or 404-607-7469.

Through Feb. 23. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival offers 65 films at half a dozen locations. Most tickets are $13 for shows after 4 p.m. and $9 for earlier shows; ajff.org or 866-2142072.

Through March 31. EthiopianIsraeli artist Hirut Yosef presents “Chalom Yashan — A Journey Back Home” at the Marcus JCC’s Katz Family Mainstreet Gallery, 5324 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. An artist’s reception will be held Sunday, Feb. 8, at 4 p.m. Admission is free; www. atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4071.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7 Chabad of Cobb celebrates 15 Years. Chabad’s celebration honors Lenny and Nina Beck, Barry Frankel, and Liz Helgesen with dinner, an open bar, auctions and live music at 8 p.m. at Chabad of Cobb, 4450 Lower Roswell Road, East Cobb.

Tickets are $84; www.chabadofcobb. com/dinner2015.

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

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Reserve Your Table Today!

Delivery Available Through For Larger catering orders call: 404.888.9699 www.SufisAtlanta.com ■ facebook.com/SufisAtlanta

The light fantastic. Lightwire Theatre, which combines light, dance and moving sculpture to tell stories aimed at children ages 4 to 10, is performing two shows of “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Tortoise and the Hare” at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Marcus JCC’s Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 to $20; www.atlantajcc.org/

boxoffice or 678-8124002.

Kehilla Fest. The Kehilla in Sandy Springs joins with the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival to celebrate five years with Rabbi Karmi Ingber through a show at 7 p.m. featuring the Moshav Band at the Atlanta Jewish Academy auditorium, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs.

Tickets are $36; thekehilla.org/kehillafest.

Arts for JF&CS’ sake. Jewish Family & Career Services holds its Artscape family fun day to benefit its Counseling Services — Tools for Life division at 3:30 p.m. at Sensations Therafun, 1704 Chantilly Drive, Atlanta. Tickets are $50 per family in advance or $65 at the door or $136 for patron families (admission an hour early); www.ArtscapeATL.org.

Put down roots. Trees Atlanta is getting into the spirit of the season with its annual tree planting to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, this year in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood from noon to 4 p.m. With the participation of such organizations as Hillel, Mosaic, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Limmud Atlanta + Southeast, the Marcus Jewish Community Center and the Sixth Point, the free event will include a special children’s planting and hot coffee and snacks throughout the afternoon, as well as a bring-yourown dairy/veggie community picnic before the planting; treesatlanta.org/ event/tu-bshvat, aagreening@gmail. com or 404-681-4903.

Candle-Lighting Times Parsha Yitro Friday, Feb. 6, light candles at 5:55 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7, Shabbat ends at 6:52 p.m.

Parsha Mishpatim Friday, Feb. 6, light candles at 6:02 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7, Shabbat ends at 6:58 p.m.

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

CALENDAR Lord Jonathan Sacks in town.

Britain’s former chief rabbi speaks at 7:30 p.m. at Young Israel of Toco Hills, 2056 LaVista Road. The event is free, but registration is required; www.yith.org or 404-315-1417.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12 SOJOURN discussion. Parents and other family members of LGBTQ-identified children of any age are invited to join the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity at 7 p.m. in Dunwoody for the regular meeting of the parent discussion group, which is not a support group but a chance to create meaningful relationships; sojourngsd.org/calendar.

FRIDAY, FEB. 13 Scout Shabbat at Ner Tamid. Services at 7 p.m. celebrate Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from Congregation Ner Tamid in West Cobb and surrounding areas. Scouts and Scouters (adult volunteers) attending this service in uniform receive a special patch; ritual@mynertamid.org or 678-264-8575.

TUESDAY, FEB. 17 Budget basics. Jewish Interest Free Loan of Atlanta and Private Bank of Buckhead holds a free “Budgeting 101” seminar at 6:30 p.m., starting with kosher refreshments, at the bank, 3565 Piedmont Road, Building 3, Suite 210, Buckhead. RSVP to Edie Barr at embarr1@bellsouth.net or 404-325-0340.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18 Italian cooking. Women can taste and learn to make Italian kosher cuisine from Tal Baum at 7:30 p.m.

Chabad of Cobb, 4450 Lower Roswell Road, East Cobb. Cost is $15; www. chabadofcobb.com or 770-565-4412, ext. 300.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20 Disability awareness Shabbat.

Eric Jacobson, the executive director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, discusses “Creating a Welcoming Community for All” during Jewish Disability Awareness Shabbat at Temple Kehillat Chaim, 1145 Green St., Roswell, at 7:30 p.m.; tkcrabbi@gmail.com, 770-641-8630 or www.kehillatchaim.org.

SATURDAY, FEB. 21 Bet on the IDF. Friends of the Israel Defense Forces holds its youngleadership casino night at 8:30 at the Westside Cultural Arts Center, 760 10th St., Midtown Atlanta. Tickets

are $50 in advance, $70 at the door; 678-250-9027, Jamie.perry@fidf.org or www.fidf.org/Southeast.

for center members and $35 ($15 for children) for nonmembers; 678-8124002 or www.atlantajcc.org/boxoffice.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22

Talking technology safety. Aaron Griffin, the Epstein School’s principal of digital learning and technology, leads a free discussion open to the community on how parents can make the best, safest use of the Internet and other technology for children. It’s at 7 p.m. at the school, 335 Colewood Way, Sandy Springs; epsteinatlanta. wufoo.com/forms/talking-technology.

Kicking for autism. The teen-run nonprofit group offers free soccer clinics from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for children ages 7 to 14 who have highfunctioning autism or Asperger’s at the Norcross Soccer Academy, 4541 S. Berkeley Lake Road. Pizza, water, snacks and other supplies are provided; kickingforautism@gmail.com.

AJA grad brings “Son” home.

Atlanta Jewish Academy graduate David I. Stern attends the 2 p.m. opening performance of AJA’s winter musical, “Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Jr.,” which he wrote, for a post-show discussion. Additional performances will be Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., all at the AJA auditorium, 5200 Northland Drive, Sandy Springs; www. showtix4u.com for tickets and tcarmona@atljewishacademy.org or 404843-9900 for information.

MONDAY, FEB. 23 Anita Diamant book discussion.

“The Red Tent” author talks about her latest novel, “The Boston Girl,” about growing up Jewish in the early 20th century, at 7:30 p.m. at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. Tickets are $10 for center members, $15 for nonmembers; www.atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4002.

TUESDAY, FEB. 24 Flying, playing and speaking for Israel. Noam Gershony, an Israeli helicopter pilot who overcame war injuries to win a tennis gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics, speaks at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead, at 7 p.m. in a free event co-sponsored by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

Advanced registration is required for security purposes; fidf.org/Atlanta_ ATLGershony or 678-250-9027.

FRIDAY, FEB. 27 Meditative Shabbaton. Daat Elyon and the Yoga and Judaism Center bring Rabbi Yoel Glick to town for a Shabbat featuring Jewish meditation. Free events are a contemplative Kabbalat Shabbat service at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, 600 Peachtree Battle Ave., Buckhead; a celebratory Havdalah service at 7 p.m. Saturday at Vista Yoga, 2836 LaVista Road, Decatur; a talk on the rabbi’s spiritual journey at 11 a.m. Sunday, after meditation at 10:30, at the Vedanta Center of Atlanta, 2331 Brockett Road, Tucker; and a talk and workshop on the three pillars of the spiritual life at 1

p.m. Sunday at the Vedanta Center.

A meditation workshop Saturday morning at the Lang Carson Center, 100 Flat Shoals Ave., Atlanta, is $20, pre-registration required; yajcenter@ aol.com or 770-270-8290.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 Dressed to thrill. Purim off Ponce, Atlanta’s best costume party and the biggest annual fundraiser for SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity, features circus performers, acrobats, drag queens, dancing and great food and honors Dan Bloom and Barry Golivesky with the Michael Jay Kinsler Rainmaker Award at 7:30 p.m. at Le Fais do-do, 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd., West Midtown Atlanta; sojourngsd.org/ purim.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 Mah jongg for a cause. A mah jongg tournament at 1 p.m. at Congregation Etz Chaim, 1190 Indian Hills Parkway, East Cobb, benefits the congregation’s preschool. Entry is $30; www.etzchaim.net/preschool or 770-977-3384.

New Chicken Schnitzel Eatery just like back home (and better!)

Locally sourced, all-natural chicken breast with flavors from around the world.

THURSDAY, FEB. 26 Theatrical magic. Jerry’s Habima Theatre, featuring special-needs actors, presents “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.” at the Marcus JCC, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, in seven performances through March 8. Tickets are $25 ($10 for children 12 and under) Send all your items for the What’s Happening calendar to submissions@atljewishtimes. com. Good photos will increase the chance for your item to be highlighted.

AbernAthy SquAre 6615 roSweLL roAd SAndy SpringS, gA 30328 404-228-5381

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

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ARTS

Walking the Red Carpet

Atlanta turns out for movies, food and fashion

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FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

his year’s gala premiere kickoff of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival was a producer’s dream, considering the snowstorm we had in 2014 that postponed the entire event.

On Jan. 28, more than 2,000 eager fans gathered at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to see “Above and Beyond,” a documentary about U.S. and other Allied pilots from World War II who returned to the skies to support Israel in the 1948 War of Independence and helped create the Israeli air force.

Hollywood’s Globes and Oscars have nothing on Atlanta’s fashion forwards. Those AJFF sponsors and others who had $300 for a ticket or important friends gathered before the movie for an open bar and a dozen top-shelf restaurants and A other vendors proffering gourmet samples.

Trout, grouper, chopped spiced salmon and garnished baba ghanoush were my favorites, but then again I eschew high-calorie choices to be able to squeeze into the tube dress. Back in Tennessee, we had an expression: “It’s hard to pour 20 pounds of flour into a 10-pound sack.”

I thought the food E last year was better. I did sneak a cannoli from Corso Coffee, managed by Atlanta’s favorite son David Abes, who recently left Here To Serve Group for this new partnership in flashy Buckhead Atlanta.

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’Tis Clothes That Make the Man We are fascinated by species like birds for which the male (look at the peacock) is the colorful, fashionable one. On our red carpet, the men displayed creative and classic tastes in well-coordinated outfits and were enthusiastic about sharing the details.

Jeffrey Kess was looking forward

to “24 Days,” a white-knuckle thriller in French with subtitles about the kidnapping of a French Moroccan Jew. Kess was decked out in Joseph

JAFFE’S JEWISH JIVE

By Marcia Jaffe mjaffe@atljewishtimes.com

Atlanta Jewish Music Festival in March, said, “I am going to as many movies as humanly possible to show support for the arts.”

Dr. Stanley Fineman, in Joseph Abboud, looked warm layered in a cashmere jacket and tawny vest.

Fineman was most enthusiastic about seeing “The Physician” because “I am one. I can relate to that!” Tickets may open up, but “The Physician” is one of the most difficult to secure, having sold out five screenings.

Dr. Ed Gerson, who takes his

and Israeli conflict. This period was clearly an important time and to the events that might have contributed to the challenges Israel and Jews in France are now facing.”

TV personality John Roberts glowed in blocked shirt and contrasting apricot silk tie as he took the stage to recount how he coordinated a Chanukah party at Holy Innocents’ School. Luckily, he had been to Israel and could explain the difference between American and Israeli dreidels.

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Abboud and David Donahue but was most enthusiastic about his glass frames from Venice and ostrich shoes. Previously men in black or navy stuck with matching footwear.

Not so now! GQ men, like Kess, pair tan shoes with a noire ensemble. I see it in younger men, even at weddings — black or gray suits with brown lace-ups.

Standout Bram Bessoff sported an authentic Elvis shirt by Orlanksy acquired in Memphis, although his hairstyle was more Al Yankovic than Presley. Bessoff, preparing for the

movies very seriously, said: “I look forward to ‘An Untold Diplomatic History: France and Israel Since 1948’ because of my interest in the historical perspective of French and Israeli relationships. With the political climate in France in light of the recent tragedy, this movie piqued my curiosity about the French

A - Your red-carpet correspondent makes the scene at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival opening night.

B - Jeffrey Kess shows he’s on the fashion cutting edge by mixing light shoes (in this case ostrich) with a dark suit.

C - Elvis has returned to the building in the person of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival’s Bram Bessoff, an Atlanta Jewish Times contributor.

D - Wearing Joseph Abboud, Dr. Stanley Fineman reminds us that opening night is also about the food.

E - A Chanukah favor is a gift that keeps on giving for Fox News personality and opening-night host John Roberts.

F - Brad Davidoff coordinates elements from Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden and Bloomingdale’s.

G - Delta’s Sugar Eisenberg makes her travels pay off in vintage Chanel purchased in a New York boutique.

H - Barbie Bromberg is first to make a fashion turn on the red carpet with a mix of baby-blue tulle and brown bohemian print.

Except for “A” all photos by Marcia Jaffe

www.atlantajewishtimes.com

ARTS

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den romance with a Jewish girl.

Young George Clooney look-alike Matt Bernstein, who has one of the best jobs in Atlanta as chair of Emory’s film and media studies, was casually adorned in Armani sans tie.

Bernstein thought that “ ‘Above and Beyond’ would be most entertaining because of its special effects and veracity.”

Brad Davidoff, one of our most popular media voices, was coordinated in Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden and accented plaid scarf from Bloomingdale’s.

He was also on the “Above and Beyond” bandwagon because of his fascination with the Israel Defense Forces.

J

K I - Actress Mindy Hylton shows her flare for fashion with a metallic and print outfit she created from Forever 21, T.J. Maxx and DSW. J - Arlene Turry makes the most of a Neiman Marcus jacket with accessories from Indiaz.

K - Two of the key players in the festival are theater owner George Lefont (left), in a custom suit from Hong Kong, and Emory film professor Matt Bernstein, in Armani.

Joan Rivers Would Have Complimented Our Women Delta flight attendant Sugar Eisenberg was stunning in vintage Chanel acquired in an obscure boutique in NYC. Sugar projected that “Above and Beyond” would be “relevant and poignant.” Sugar’s dimples could rival those of any Hollywood starlet.

Barbie Bromberg, gowned in A’reve that eclectically mixed baby-blue tulle with brown bohemian print and boots from Fox’s, was the first fashionista on the red carpet.

Knockout blonde Mindy Hylton, an actress, created her own metallic and print outfit that rocked from Forever 21, T.J. Maxx and DSW. “My husband is a history buff; that’s why we are here for this film.”

Arlene Turry put together a jacket from Neiman’s with accessories from Indiaz. Arlene’s favorite is “The Physician.” “As the mother of a Jewish doctor, I’m drawn to all things medical, as here the lead is disguised as a

Jew and pretends to be a doctor exploring healing through his telepathic gifts. Plus Ben Kingsley is one of my favorites!”

Your Turn It’s not too late to secure tickets to the nation’s second-largest larg-

WORLD

PREMIER

est Jewish film festival (rivaling No. 1 San Francisco). The festival runs through Feb. 19, and while many of the 65 films are sold out, tickets are available for many great screenings.

Visit ajff.org to check out the schedule and get your tickets. ■

If you could live forever, would you?

E

Musical

Book By

Music By

Lyrics By

Claudia Shear

ChriS Miller

NathaN tySeN

Based on the noveL Tuck EvErlasTing By Natalie BaBBitt directed and choreographed By CaSey

NiCholaw

andrew keenan–Bolger and sarah charles Lewis in the alliance theatre’s world premiere production of Tuck Everlasting. photo by greg Mooney.

on Stage Now–February 22 WO R L D

PREMIER

Dance, music, and intense drama collide on stage!

By Tsehaye Geralyn Hébert | Directed by Kent Gash

February 13–March 8 Tickets @ 404.733.5000

alliancetheatre.org/tuckeverlasting alliancetheatre.org/calyons

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FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

Atlanta’s Entertainment Giants George Lefont, whose eponymous theater in Sandy Springs is the most popular AJFF destination, looked dapper in a custom-tailored suit secured in Hong Kong. His most eagerly anticipated movie is “Dancing Arabs,” in which a young Palestinian outsider struggles to find his place in Israeli society as he earns a spot in Jerusalem’s most prestigious boarding school. Initially isolated, he slowly overcomes barriers to find empathy with classmates and a forbid-

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ARTS

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Going ‘Above and Beyond’ on Opening Night

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival turns on the spotlights

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o m e 2,200 people turned out for the 15th Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s opening-night screening of documentary “Above and Beyond” at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Jan. 28.

Of those, 1,000 arrived early for a red-carpet gala featuring fine-dining tastes from elite restaurants and caterers and music from the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra and the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival. Atlanta Jewish Times correspondent Bob Pepalis captured these images from opening night.

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

A - Nancy Spielberg, Steven’s sister, is the producer of opening-night film “Above and Beyond.” She escaped a New York snowstorm to attend the gala and take part in a post-screening question-and-answer session.

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D

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I 2018 edition of the film festival.

D - Adam Gaslowitz, a partner in Gaslowitz Frankel, checks out the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival movie schedule.

B - Steve Labovitz of McKenna Long & Aldridge not only is a sponsor of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, but also is the first board chairman of the festival as an independent nonprofit organization.

E - Director, writer and producer Ghila Valabrega arrives fresh from Italy to attend the gala and the Feb. 1 world premiere of her short film, “Happy in the Box” (“Felice nel Box”).

C - Louisa von Steinruck (left) may see her grandfather, one of the Valkyrie conspirators who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler, as a subject in a future film. Escorting her to the film festival premiere are Kristina Blass, Marta Kalnin and Dr. Mitchell Blass of Georgia Infectious Diseases. Blass hopes to bring a movie to the

F - Karen Botnick Paz, the director of women’s philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, arrives at opening night with Marvin Botnick, the publisher and editor of The Jewish Georgian.

G - Cindy Gross Solomon, Sharon Levin Khoury and Marsha Zipkin enjoy the opening-night gala.

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J H - Kenny Blank, the executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, coordinates activities with Martha Jo Katz, the opening night chairwoman, during the Cobb Centre gala.

I - Enjoying the gala before the movie screening are Jeffrey Kess, a tax lawyer with Gomel, Davis & Watson; optometrist David Grosswald of the Eye Center Conyers; Suzanne Grosswald; and Beth Kess.

J - Brad Cohn, opening night chairwoman Martha Jo Katz and her husband, Jerry Katz, pause during the opening ceremonies for the film festival.

K - Sandy Abrams of Harry Norman Realtors Buckhead arrives at opening night.

K

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TRAVEL

Season’s Greetings for Israel

Atlanta synagogues prepare for summer group trips

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The Temple The three Temple trips are on different schedules, but all three will be in Israel for Shabbat on June 20, when 15 12- and 13-year-olds on the family trip will become b’nai mitzvah at Beit Shmuel overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City. The 5:30 p.m. service will be streamed live to the morning Shabbat service at The Temple.

With the participants on the three trips, plus about 40 additional friends and family there just for the

b’nai mitzvah, that service will bring together about 200 members of The Temple in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Rau said the family trip, open to Temple members and their guests, has 85 participants. The trip costs $3,080 per person, plus airfare, and runs from June 16 to 28. It gained two families just two weeks ago and could take more.

The adult trip is June 10 to 22.

With a new focus on health and well-

Rau said the trip is crucial to build teen engagement with The Temple.

“This is one of our crucial learning points of The Temple as a whole,” he said, adding that the trip creates a lifetime connection with The Temple.

The teen trip is so important that Rabbi Rau said participants on the family trip are told of the expectation that the youth participants will take the teen trip in the future.

“We’re strengthening our commu-

The view of Jordan from Masada is something common to most Israel trips.

Photo by Marcy Levinson

ness, the $3,985-per-person trip sold out all 45 seats in a week. Rabbi Rau said the trip could have sold more seats, but organizers wanted to limit it to one bus.

The adult trip lacked a central theme the past few times and seemed to lack some enthusiasm, so the health and wellness theme was added to appeal to the interests of many adults, especially young adults.

The Temple’s newest pulpit rabbi, David Spinrad, used to be a personal trainer. He will lead the adult trip with Cantor Deborah Hartman and will provide some higher-intensity exercise and training options.

The trip will include healthier dining options, Torah yoga, and a mikvah experience in Tzfat for men and women.

The teen trip, something The Temple has run for rising high school juniors and seniors since 2005, also is sold out with 30 teens, plus chaperones. Seats on the June 8-21 trip started at $2,225 plus airfare. Rabbi

nity and the love and passion our congregants have for Israel,” Rabbi Rau said.

Congregation Or Hadash Or Hadash is limiting its Israel trip to one bus, so it has room for 10 to 12 more people to join the 25 to 28 signed up, Rabbi Karpuj said.

The trip will run June 7 to 21 at a cost of $3,895 per person, plus airfare. Congregants have the first shot at registration, but Rabbi Karpuj said he welcomes anyone to join the trip.

“We kind of know what we’re doing, so we try to make sure every trip is different and has something new for people coming and for us,” he said.

Adding new elements to the regular trips keeps them fresh for return travelers, he said.

One new element this year will be a scavenger hunt in Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter. The Or Hadash group also will visit some high-tech organizations for the first time.

The trip “creates a strong bond

with the people who are traveling in the group,” Rabbi Karpuj said.

“There’s a strong shared experience.”

Contact Rabbi Karpuj at 404250-3338 or rabbimario@gmail.com if you’re interesting in the trip.

Temple Emanu-El Emanu-El’s trip runs slightly later than the others, from June 22 to July 3. The $5,990 price includes airfare.

“It’s time to do another one,” Rabbi Colbert said, explaining that interest has built up since the last congregational trip in 2011. “Israel has changed over the last couple of years.

It’s been a long time since we went. So we’re going.”

He likes to limit the trip to one bus and, within the bus, to sell only 25 to 30 seats so that everyone has an extra seat for spreading out. That number keeps the trip intimate and fun, he said.

In addition to the usual religious and historic sites, Rabbi Colbert likes to hit out-of-the-way places and do unusual activities, such as going on civil patrol one year and helping fight a forest fire another.

The trip is for adults, Rabbi Colbert said, “but I’m more than happy to have a bar or bat mitzvah.”

This group combines return Israel visitors and first-timers and has an itinerary to appeal to both. The trip will have at least one cooking class with a five-star Tel Aviv chef, a winery tasting, a meeting with new immigrants from France, a visit with Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, speedboating in the north and the Ramon Crater in the Negev.

Four years ago, the Emanu-El group toured Pillcam maker Given Industries, and Rabbi Colbert said he intends to visit another exemplar of Israeli industry so people can get an idea of the importance of Israeli technology to the nation’s economy and to the world.

Anyone may join the Emanu-El trip. Rabbi Colbert said past trips have included people from out of state. Contact him at scolbert@temple-emanuel. net, or call the synagogue at 770-3951340.

“They can see how the country, this very young country,” he said, “has grown from a pioneer country to being one of the most sophisticated economies in the world.” ■ 25 FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

By Michael Jacobs mjacobs@atljewishtimes.com ummer is prime time for mission trips to Israel, and at least three Atlanta-area synagogues are planning such rabbi-led trips this year: The Temple, Temple Emanu-El and Congregation Or Hadash.

“Israel is not a vacation; it’s a pilgrimage,” Rabbi Scott Colbert said.

“It is an opportunity to increase the awareness not only of their personal connection to the Jewish people and with our Jewish heritage — increase their own personal spirituality — but it’s an opportunity to understand the geopolitical nature of what’s going on in the Middle East.”

Rabbi Colbert is preparing to lead his 11th trip with Emanu-El but first since becoming the Sandy Spring congregation’s senior rabbi. It’s the synagogue’s first Israel trip since 2011.

“As a rabbi and as somebody who is in love with the land of Israel … very few thing give me more pleasure than to take people to Israel, to show them the land through my eyes, to kind of create a connection,” Or Hadash Rabbi Mario Karpuj said.

Rabbi Karpuj and his wife, Rabbi Analia Bortz, lead a congregational trip to Israel every other year.

The Temple also organizes Israel trips every other year but does the trick in triplicate: three separate trips, one for teens, one for adults and one for families.

“The Temple is all about engaging relationships,” said Rabbi Steven Rau, the Midtown congregation’s director of lifelong learning. “Since 2011, we’re seen a whole new form of engagement arise.”

Congregants who join synagogue trips to Israel become not only more connected with the Jewish homeland, but also more connected with The Temple as a whole, Rabbi Rau said.

AJT

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TRAVEL

Something to See Here

Why it’s not so crazy to be a Jewish tourist in Kurdistan Editor’s note: Benjamin Kweskin, who lives in Decatur, recently spent 10 months living in Iraqi Kurdistan until the rise of the Islamic State insurgents compelled him to return to the United States. This week, for our travel section, Kweskin discusses the reasons to add a visit to Kurdistan to your next trip to Israel.

By Benjamin Kweskin n addition to the natural beauty and the adventure, what would entice Jewish tourists to visit Kurdistan?

When I traveled to the city of Zakho, highlighted in Ariel Sabar’s “My Father’s Paradise,” people came up to me in the former Jewish neighborhood and pointed out the homes of teachers, rabbis and others — more than 60 years after they left.

Many people mourned when the Jews were leaving for Israel in the early 1950s because they knew they would never return. Many Kurds romanticize stories of their parents and grandparents’ Jewish friends and

I

neighbors. Most of our older Kurdish friends and colleagues had personal if not family stories relating to the Jewish community, and all welcomed us and were interested.

One of our colleagues at school, a man roughly my father’s age, asked how he could visit Israel. I replied that he likely had to get a different passport from his Iraqi one. He answered in broken English: “I don’t want this stupid Iraqi passport!”

When I visited a close friend who grew up in the United States and who visited Israel several years ago, he translated while I spoke to nearly a dozen men who sat glued to every word — I was the first Jew some had seen for decades if ever. They wanted to know why Israel did not help out

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the Kurds more, what I The 2,500-year-old Nabi Nahum synagogue, site of the thought of Benjamin Netantomb of the prophet Nahum, is in Al-Qosh.

Photos by Benjamin Kweskin yahu, and what I learned about Kurds growing up sit in a residential neighborhood. The (nothing). The older men, my friend’s synagogue of Nabi Nahum is said to uncles, were excited to tell me that an be the last synagogue in Iraqi Kurdisold Jewish man came to their city evtan and is in a derelict state. ery year to visit his old neighborhood

Farther south, the prophet Daniel and friends from his youth. is buried in the oil-rich, contested city

Several biblical figures are buried of Kirkuk. The site was a synagogue, in Kurdistan, and their tombs and became a church and now is a mosque. shrines are easily accessible.

For nearly 100 years a Jewish In the Assyrian Christian town of kingdom called Adiabene (Hadyab in Al-Qosh, a 2,500-year-old synagogue Hebrew) existed in Erbil; the queen and the tomb of the prophet Nahum has a street named after her in Jerusalem (Heleni Ha’Malka), near the famous commercial area of Ben Yehuda Street. The queen and the royal family provided soldiers and food to help the Judaeans fight Roman occupation in the first-century C.E. Great Jewish Revolt, which ended at Masada.

When Roman troops headed toward Adiabene after conquering Juda ea, the royal family fled east to Hamadan (Iranian Kurdistan), a once-thriving Jewish community still visited by local Jews and Muslims to see a beautiful shrine dedicated to Esther and Mordechai. We generally think of the modern Reform movement ordaining the first female rabbis, but a woman was considered a rabbi in the 1600s in the Kurdish highlands. Ta’anit Asenath Barzani (1590-1670) was the beautiful daughter of a famous rabbi who lacked sons; he educated his brightest daughter in Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah. She was respected throughout Kurdistan, and when she reached marriageable age, her father demanded that her husband include in the marriage contract that she should “never be troubled by housework” so she could focus on teaching and studying Torah.

When her father and husband died, she became rosh yeshiva (head of school) until her son learned enough to succeed her.■

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

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TRAVEL

A Taste of 2 Cities: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 1850s. The Hurva, damaged in the 1948 war and destroyed when the Jordanians gained control of the Old City, was rebuilt and dedicated in 2010 and is now in daily use.

Additional archaeological deContinued next page

GUEST COLUMN

By Renee Werbin

Getting There Departing for Israel is easy from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International. Delta offers daily service through JFK, Air France through Paris, KLM through Amsterdam and United through Newark. Your arrival city is Tel Aviv.

U.S. citizens need a valid passport; check yours when planning your trip to be sure it’s valid for at least six months past your return date to the United States. The currency in Israel is the shekel, but many Israelis will accept U.S. dollars, and your credit card is welcome throughout the country.

I recommend prearranging your arrival transfer, but taxis are abundant and reliable. Or you can opt for a sheirut (shared ride). Familiar rental car companies, including Hertz, Avis and Budget, offer a variety of options, and Eldan, one of the local rental car companies, is also a trusted name. The new Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion Airport train line is economical and quick; the ride is only 15 minutes.

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W

ith more than two decades of globetrotting under my belt, I have a long list of recommended vacation destinations.

I’m constantly asked, “What’s your favorite spot on the planet?” Without hesitation I reply, “Israel.” I’ve been dozens of times, and each trip opens a new door and reveals another enriching experience in a country where I always feel at home.

A trip to Israel can be enlightening for a person of any religious denomination, but for Jews the reward is tenfold. It isn’t just a vacation; it’s an amazing opportunity to sample the history and culture of this magnificent land where the seeds of our spirituality were planted. It’s a country brimming with luxurious hotels, wonderful restaurants, stunning beaches, spa resorts and trendy shops — with a bit of antiquity around every bend.

Let’s start in Jerusalem.

Choose from an abundance of hotels to match every budget. The luxury category boasts the renowned and elegant King David Hotel, the brand-new and posh Waldorf Astoria, the David Citadel, and the boutique Mamilla Hotel. All are well within walking distance of the Old City. If you want to save some money but still go deluxe, your choices include the Inbal Hotel, the Leonardo Plaza and the Dan Jerusalem.

The Dan is close to Mount Scopus and a hefty walk on Shabbat to the Old City. Jerusalem also offers many less expensive first-class choices, including the Dan Panorama and the Prima chain, which includes the Kings and the Prima Royal.

Must-see sites inside the Old City include the Davidson Center, where visitors can access a computerized version of what the Temple Mount looked like thousands of years ago; the Western Wall and the Western Wall Tunnels (be sure you have a reservation to tour the tunnels well in advance of your visit); and the Cardo, which was a Byzantine road that ran through the heart of the city.

Make plans to tour the Hurva Synagogue; originally called the Great Synagogue, the Hurva was built in the 16th century, destroyed by the Ottomans and rebuilt in the

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T RAVEL

OBITUARIES

A Taste of 2 Cities: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

lights include the Herodian Mansions and the Burnt House, which reveal the remains of six magnificent buildings dating from 37 B.C.E. Jerusalem is home to Yad Vashem, Israel’s moving memorial to the Holocaust, established in 1953.

Located on Har Hazikaron (Hill of Remembrance), Yad Vashem includes a central archive and a research center for the documentation of the Holocaust. Stop at Herzl’s Museum and learn the story of Theodor Herzl and his quest for a Jewish homeland.

Behind the museum lies Mount Herzl, the final resting place of many of Israel’s soldiers, statesmen and heroes, including former Prime Ministers Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin.

Make time for the Israel Museum, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and other engaging exhibitions. If time allows, make a reservation to visit the Menachem Begin Museum, dedicated to the life of Israel’s sixth prime minister.

No visit to Jerusalem is complete without a stop at Machne Yehuda, Israel’s main marketplace. Inside you will be captivated by the colorful and crowded stalls filled with every imaginable aroma.

Jerusalem’s tantalizing restaurants feature such eclectic fare as Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Argentinian, French and American. Topping the list is Shabbat lunch at the King David, the place to enjoy a Hamish Shabbat lunch with your family. For a Moroccan feast, make a reservation at Darna; you’ll think you have traveled to Casablanca. Sheyan, with an Asian flair and exquisite cuisine, holds a Mehadrin Hescher (kosher certification). Walk down the flight of stairs to Keira and enjoy a steak with all the trimmings (also under Mehadrin certification).

Machneyuda Restaurant is fairly new and a hard-to-get reservation.

It’s the fabulous concept of three innovative owners who happen to be the chefs. The menu is written daily on a chalkboard.

The Middle Eastern cuisine is a culinary treat at Ima, where meals are served family style. You won’t be disappointed.

We’ve walked down biblical lane; now let’s travel to Tel Aviv and party a bit. After all, what’s a traveler to do when the sun goes down? Tel Aviv is a bustling metropolis filled with lively bars, superb cuisine, intriguing museums, a world-class symphony orchestra and sensational seaside 28 hotels.

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Luxury hotels — all by the sea with a bevy of room types — include the Hilton, the David Intercontinental, the new Isrotel Royal Beach and the Dan Tel Aviv. Israel also boasts a new Ritz-Carlton in Herzliya, 40 minutes from Tel Aviv. The charming Carlton and the Renaissance are additional choices. For a less expensive but attractive option, try the Alexander Suites.

Tel Aviv has a New York vibe, and many of its restaurants are stylish and trendy. Restaurant Messa, led by Chef Aviv Moshe, offers gourmet French fare in a sparkling, marbleized environment. The food, ambience and libations make for a romantic and memorable meal. Restaurant Montefiore serves what you would find at a modern French brasserie, with a terrific wine list and a flair for Vietnamese cuisine. The food never disappoints. Maganda, in the Yemenite Quarter near the Carmel Market, offers Middle Eastern food, including kebabs and falafel, and dining there won’t break the bank.

Tel Aviv is a haven for artists with galleries galore. Museums include the new Yitzhak Rabin Museum, which preserves the Nobel laureate’s legacy. The Museum of the Diaspora, on the campus of Tel Aviv University, presents a medley of Jewish history and life the past 2,500 years.

The Diamond Exchange in Tel Aviv can be toured Sunday through Thursday by appointment. The Habima National Theater is known for fabulous productions; find out what’s on the bill before you leave for Israel.

The legendary Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1936.

These two enriching cities are just part of what’s in store in Israel.

Respectable wineries abound in the Galilee, and a rousing jeep tour is a great way to take in the Golan Heights. No trip is complete without a float in the Dead Sea and a hike up the snake path to Masada. Along the way are zip lines, archaeological digs, nature preserves and camel rides.

Israel is a destination that prizes your presence and welcomes you with open arms.

If you’ve been, consider a return trip. You could even take a philanthropic journey by volunteering to work on an Israel Defense Forces base or a kibbutz. Whenever you cross this incredible destination off your bucket list, your soul will thank you, and you will want to return. ■

Alan M. Bagully 74, Stone Mountain

On 27 January 2015, the world lost 74 year-old Captain Alan M. Bagully — an amazing father, proud brother, loyal friend, and the greatest Perry Mason and John Wayne fan around.

Alan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1940 and had the privilege of growing up watching his favorite sports team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. He proclaimed that he “bled Dodger Blue” and stated that one of the most memorable moments in his life was watching Jackie Robinson take the field in 1947. He succeeded in passing that love of the Dodgers onto his daughter through annual visits to Vero Beach (“Dodgertown”) for spring training and meeting some of his favorites, like Sandy Koufax, Oral Hershiser, Kirk Gibson and Tommy Lasorda. After his family moved to North Carolina in 1953, Alan became interested in both music and the military. He subsequently joined the ROTC program at N.C. State University, where he had the honor of serving as leader of the school’s esteemed Drum & Bugle Corps. After graduating and becoming commissioned in the Army, Alan proudly served eight years as a military intelligence officer, including a deployment to Vietnam from August 1968 to August 1969. While there, he sustained injuries from shrapnel and exposure to Agent Orange — injuries that would cause him health problems for the remainder of his life. Yet he always said he would do it all over again in a heartbeat, as he took great pride in his time in uniform. And one of the greatest moments in his life was watching his son graduate from West Point and follow in his footsteps by proudly committing to a life of selfless service to the nation.

Alan is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Lt. Col. Mike Bagully and Joanna Bagully, Burke, Va.; daughter, Miriam Bagully, Stone Mountain; brother and sister-in-law, Ross and Patsy Bagully, Denver; nephew and niece, Aaron Bagully and Stephanie Bagully; former wife, Rachel Bagully; and grandchildren, Alexandra and Wyatt Bagully.

You may sign the online guestbook at www.edressler.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund or the American Heart Association. Funeral services were held Tuesday, 3 February 2015, at 1:30 p.m. at Georgia National Cemetery. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Leonard Kapiloff 63, Vinings Leonard “Lenny” Kapiloff passed away on Jan. 30 after a 10-year battle with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Wendy (Wilner); his daughter Robin and her husband, Joseph Morris, of Long Beach, Calif.; and his daughter Ellen of New York City. In addition, he is survived by his two adored grandchildren, Margaret “Magaroni” and Gabriel “Gaber,” and three brothers, Alan and his wife, Gail, of Williamstown, Mass., Perry and his wife, Ellen, of West Boylston, Mass., and Michael and his wife, Tricia, of Keene, N.H. He is also survived by 11 nieces and nephews.

He was born on Feb. 24, 1951, in Keene, N.H., the son of Edward and Charlotte Kapiloff. He attended schools in Swanzey, N.H., Lowell, Mass., and Keene, N.H. He was a 1969 graduate of Keene High School. He later graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a degree in merchandising.

Lenny started his career at Grossman’s Lumber and quickly grew to the position of building materials merchant. After a short move to Long Island, N.Y., he joined the Home Depot in 1991, where he spent 21 years as a window and door merchant, logistics director, and vice president of merchandising in Canada. His Home Depot career led his family to live in Palm Harbor, Fla., Toronto, Ontario, and Atlanta, Ga.

Most recently, Lenny founded the Lenny Group, a global logistics and merchandising firm. He created business development relationships around

OBITUARIES – MAY THEIR MEMORIES BE A BLESSING the world, including Caribbean islands, Canada, Europe and South America.

In Santiago, Chile, he was known as Papa Kilimanjaro as he helped the Sodimac Corporation flourish and gain market share with his unique logistic strategies. He was an expert at bringing together business partners and helping them create business opportunities. To Lenny, no person was a stranger, and offering an open hand was his way. His motto was “Every day was a good day,” and it soon became a motto for all of his family and friends as he battled GIST. He was treated as a research patient at the Dana-Farber Hospital in Boston and made the trip from Atlanta to Boston three times a year for over seven years. He inspired fellow patients and DFH staff members with his courage and strength throughout his treatments.

His open-hand attitude led him and Wendy to start Lenny’s Search for a Cure, an annual event that raised over $750,000 for the GIST Cancer Research Fund, which has helped countless other patients with GIST. It also led them to start a scholarship at Congregation Ahavis Achim in Keene to send a Jewish child each year to Jewish overnight summer camp. In addition, he helped many more with his career and life advice of “live your dreams every day.” Lenny’s passions were always his family, but he was also an avid golfer — “no 3-putts” — and driver of his BMW convertible. He loved playing poker and blackjack and trips to Las Vegas. Lenny and Wendy were also avid travelers, with trips to locations around the globe. In short, Lenny loved having fun.

He was very proud of his Jewish heritage and served as president of Congregation Beth Jacob in Plymouth, Mass., and was an active member of Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, Ga. He and Wendy also made two trips to Israel.

Contributions may be made to the GIST Cancer Research Fund in memory of Lenny Kapiloff, 55 Sawmill Road, New City, N.Y. 10956. Funeral services were Feb. 2 at Temple Kol Emeth with Cantor Steven Weiss and Rabbi Steven Lebow officiating. Interment followed at Arlington Memorial Park.

Owen Herschel Halpern 62, Atlanta

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fun and joy she was still having at her age. Mrs. Sacks had a wonderful sense of style and a keen sense of humor.

She is survived by daughter Lauri Sacks of Alpharetta; daughter Amy Bowen and son-in-law Tom Bowen of Cumming; and son Bo and daughterin-law Diane Sacks of Nashville, Tenn. She was the doting grandmother of Dustin William Bowen, Corey Franklin Sacks and Marlee Hadar Sacks. In addition, she is survived by many cousins and close extended family. Mrs. Sacks was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Burly Sacks of blessed memory.

Funeral services were held Thursday, Jan. 29, at The Temple on Peachtree Street with Rabbi Peter Berg officiating. Interment followed at Crest Lawn Memorial Park. Online condolences may be expressed at www. edresseler.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Temple, 1589 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.the-temple.org. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Ted Spitalnick 74, Marietta

Ted Spitalnick, age 74, of Marietta died Jan. 25, 2015. Ted was preceded in death by his granddaughter Nina Spitalnick.

Survivors include his loving wife of 44 years, Nancy Spitalnick; son and daughter-in-law Benjamin and Alli Spitalnick; son and daughter-in-law Aaron and Denise Spitalnick; son and daughter-in-law Josh and Cheryl Spitalnick; daughter and son-in-law Deborah and Doug Pristach; sister Nancy Mazin; and grandchildren Anna, Cara, Sophia, Nathan, Reid and Jake.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Scott Miller Glycogen Storage Disease Fund in memory of Ted and Nina Spitalnick (www.uff.ufl. edu/onlinegiving/FundDetail.asp?FundCode=012581).

Sign the online guest book at www.edressler.com. Funeral services were held at Arlington Memorial Park on Jan. 27, 2015, with Rabbi Elana Perry officiating. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.

Owen Herschel Halpern, 62, passed away on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015.

Owen is survived by a large and loving family, including his brothers, Alan Halpern, Jack (Lynne) Halpern, and Rick (Robin) Halpern; his sister, Carolyn Oppenheimer; 13 nieces and nephews; and seven great-nieces and -nephews, as well as countless additional family members and friends. Owen was the son of the late Bernard and Shirley Halpern, of blessed memory, and a graduate of The Lovett School and Vanderbilt University.

Owen had a lifelong appreciation for culture, art, literature and music.

He translated this passion into being a successful retailer, an expert appraiser of fine art, an interior designer, and an accomplished collector of original paintings and sculpture. He was also a creative and incredibly talented gardener, transforming the outside grounds of every home in which he lived into a magnificent showplace — a living work of art.

Owen had an encyclopedic knowledge of and love for the city of Atlanta — its history, architecture and people. He enjoyed giving tours of the city to groups of visitors, as well as to his family and friends, and was an eloquent and enthusiastic guide.

Owen was also an excellent cook, a wonderful host and a consummate storyteller — with a great sense of humor. He cared deeply for the less fortunate and for those with special challenges in life and channeled this concern into generous support for a variety of charitable causes. Contributions in Owen’s memory may be made to the Atlanta Humane Society or Jewish Family & Career Services.

Selma Sacks

Selma Sacks, loving wife, mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, age 95, passed away on Jan. 28, 2015.

Mrs. Sacks was born Nov. 23, 1919, in the Bronx, N.Y., to Herman and Katie Sagman. She was the youngest of three children, preceded in death by her brothers, William and Milton Sagman.

Mrs. Sacks was a longtime resident of Atlanta, where she raised her three children. She was a member of The Temple and ran the Temple gift shop with her dear friend Cookie Frank for 17 years. Mrs. Sacks, along with her husband, enjoyed an active life of tennis and traveling. In her later years she kept very active by playing bridge, pinochle and mah jongg. She loved her friends at the Barclay and Huntcliff Summit and spoke often about how much

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

95, Atlanta

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

Those Spielbergs Have Nothing on Us

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

M

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y first foray into filmdom, a half-hour come titled “Diamond in the Rough,” was written, directed, cast and costumed by my brother, Aaron, and sister, Nancy, in the Old Country (St. Louis).

The movie featured our newborn daughter, Rachel, on her first visit to my hometown. The plot involved the kidnapping of month-old Rachel, spirited away by two evildoers (my siblings), who ransomed her for the contents of my father’s safe.

None of us knew what my father kept in the dusty steel box in the basement; now the secret would be revealed.

It was Friday afternoon. After the early-morning plane ride from New York, I was so tired, I fell asleep in the recliner in the den.

That’s when the action commenced.

My husband was bound and gagged, and Rachel was grabbed.

My paternal grandmother, my cousin, my parents, my husband, Nancy’s boyfriend, Mike, and the guy who owned the grocery store on the next block joined my siblings in their acting debuts.

After a lifetime of playing second fiddle to gorgeous leading ladies in amateur productions, I was given the chance to fully display my thespian chops, as I emotively searched for my child.

Finally, my father was forced to open the safe to free Rachel and return her to me.

True, the bad guys won, and my husband was infuriatingly ambivalent about giving in to kidnappers, but I got my baby back.

You’ll have to see the movie to learn the safe’s contents (and the meaning of the title), but the treasure was nothing compared with the stellar performances of my family and the fun we had.

Awards were presented at the Shabbat meal that evening. With pride, I accepted Best Actress From Out of Town. My Yiddish-speaking grandmother won for Costuming (it was the apron that did it), and my siblings won for Best Screenplay (yes, that’s right; there was a single entry).

CROSSWORD “Shaping Jewish Identity”

By Harvey Estes Editor: DavidBenkof@gmail.com Difficulty Level: Easy

Time passed, and our family moved to Atlanta. It had been 25 years since the making of “Diamond in the Rough,” during which I’d concocted quite a few movie ideas of my own. My fondness for pseudo-silver-

CHANA’S CORNER Chana Shapiro

screen stardom was matched by my love of mysteries. I decided to write a whodunit film. The result was “The Case of the Silver Earring,” a film noir satire.

It featured my husband as P.I. Willy Fineditt (get it?), our daughter Sara as sultry femme fatale Ruby Lippes, myself as Fineditt’s worthy assistant and all-round swell gal, Penny Antye, and our friends, Judi and Gilbert, playing the breakout roles of identical twins.

We had the advantage of directorial and technical expertise because our son-in-law, Alex, just happens to be a filmmaker. As with “Diamond in the Rough,” there were no rehearsals — each performance had to be perfect in the first take.

The plot involved the discovery of a silver earring by Ms. Lippes and the hiring of Fineditt and Antye to locate its mate. The film required last-minute location changes, moving bulky equipment and subsisting on junk food, all eliciting unwarranted kvetching directed at you-knowwho.

In the climactic scene, the earring is traced to the home of our daughter Rachel, reluctantly appearing in her second crucial role.

At the end of the shooting day, I magnanimously offered to purchase a celebratory pizza, but there were no takers. Apparently people hadn’t enjoyed crawling on the floor while wielding magnifying glasses and wearing vintage clothes from my closet as much as I did.

So, meet me at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. We’ll enjoy great films, which will not include “Diamond in the Rough” or “The Case of the Silver Earring.” Maybe next year. ■

ACROSS 1 Is a pain in the tuchis to 5 Whence Borat (abbr.)

8 Trans-Samaria Highway, for one (abbr.)

11 Marches around Jericho, e.g.

13 What Gloria Steinem pitched?

14 Sukkah sight 15 Six-day conflict of 1967 16 Suffix with Auer or Carle?

17 No, to a refusenik 18 Acronym for planes Reagan sold to the Saudis over Jewish objections 20 Way to order pastrami 22 Lucy Dawidowicz’s “What is the ___ of Jewish History?”

24 Where Noah should have killed those two darned mosquitos 25 Giora “Hawkeye” Epstein of the IAF, for one 26 Act like Shabbat candles 29 Beer that displays a symbol of David on its logo 31 Sends back to Nuremberg?

33 What some do when looking at Bar Refaeli 34 Hanukkah shopping list ender 35 Emulates Charles Goren at the bridge table 36 Shmo 37 How many fled Germany during the ‘30s 41 1911 industrial disaster that killed hundreds of immigrant Jewish women 42 Genesis maker 43 Org. of Mandy Patinkin’s character in “Homeland” 44 Olin of “Brothers & Sisters” 45 E. Engel, for one 47 James L. Brooks flick “___ of Endearment” 49 Where photog Jono David is based 51 Many European art treasures, to the Nazis 54 Berlin’s “Anything You

Can Do” is one 55 Prefix before “fits” in a Marilyn Monroe film title 56 Bernstein’s themes (anagram of “Leftist? Moi?”) 59 Mossad worker (abbr.)

60 Iconic Tel Aviv spot 61 Workers at Shaare Zedek hosp.

62 “Gimme ___!” (star of a cheer for the American Jewish University?)

63 Game to play with the kids while driving to Boca DOWN 1 Like Amon’s trigger finger in “Schindler’s List” 2 “P” in the Septuagint 3 He was a middle-aged man when he wrote “Ol’ Man River” 4 Shuckle while davening 5 Moves like Jerome Robbins’ dancers 6 Word on a sign near Shaare Zedek Hospital 7 Where D. Winger’s beau was headed in “An Officer and a Gentleman” 8 Heaven in the afterlife 9 Harold Abrahams, for one 10 Grain units of Joseph’s dream (Genesis 41:5) 11 A Marrano was this kind of Jew 12 Enjoyed a seder 14 Hora, for one 16 Wild nonkosher meat source 19 He won the Nobel Peace Prize three years before Wiesel 21 Judah ha-Nasi, to the Mishnah 23 Shouting anti-Semitic taunts, e.g., with “on” 27 Did field work like Ruth

28 Atlit Naval Base is on one 30 Like a lot of Borscht Belt jokes 32 Result of hemorrhaging shekels 33 Theater award held by Leelee Sobieski?

38 Where Omri Katz picks up a kitten?

39 Location of Le Marais steakhouse and Jerusalem II kosher pizza 40 Sholem’s “___ River” 41 Purim Seudah and others 42 Belted, Biblically 44 To some, it means Fritos are kosher 46 Singer of some of Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” tunes 48 Act like the Talmud to a rabbi 49 Barbra’s “Funny Girl” costar 50 He played a Republican presidential candidate in Sorkin’s “West Wing” 52 All, in the beginning 53 Puts on a tallis and such, with “up” 57 Article in a Kafka novel 58 “___ banana” (phrase coined by Harry Steppe)

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Plantation South Dunwoody | Assisted Living & Memory Care

Experience Israel with Rabbi Scott Colbert June 22 – July 3 , 2015

VIRTUAL

DEMENTIA TOUR Learn how dementia feels, looks and sounds during this FREE tour.

Tuesday, February 10 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm

You’ll enjoy a host of unique visits and tours, luxurious five-star accommodations (including the new Beresheet Hotel near Mizpe Ramon) and the services of legendary guide, Moshe Nov. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in B’nai Mitzvah services in Jerusalem and to renew your vows on the beach in Tel Aviv!

FEBRUARY 6 ▪ 2015

Please call Rabbi Colbert: 770-395-1340, or SRI Travel: 770-451-9399 for more information and to join.

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Join us for The Virtual Dementia Tour – a unique, interactive experience that improves communication and care.

During this FREE tour, you’ll learn how to create a positive environment for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s by attempting to walk in their shoes.

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Free Day Care for your loved one during the tour.

Appetizers and beverages will be served.

To schedule your tour time, call 770-441-4836 by February 8 Assisted Living and Memory Care 4594 Barclay Drive, Dunwoody, GA 30338 www.PlantationSouth-Dunwoody.com